Catalyst - TCW S3, Pre Ep 10 AU
by Jade-Max
Summary: The mission that led to the shift in Rex and Ahsoka's relationship in "Journey of Revolution" by emjalen, formerly Tahiri Veila Solo; this is a companion piece - a prequel - to that story. This piece of fiction deserves its "M" rating. Not necessary to read "JoR" to understand this fic :)
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer:**Star Wars belongs to Disney and is the intellectual property of George Lucas; he created the sandbox. I'm making no money off of this and am simply destroying the sandcastles.

**RATING NOTICE:** This piece of fiction _deserves _its rating. This is AU and has _mentions_ of war, battle, death, underage sex, and prostitution. If you're uncomfortable with that, hit the back button on your browser now.

**Title:** Catalyst  
**Author:** Jade_Max  
**Characters:** Captain Rex, Ahsoka  
**Genre:** Angst / Adventure / Romance  
**Era:** The Clone Wars - S3, Pre Ep 10 AU  
**Summary:** The mission that led to the shift in Rex and Ahsoka's relationship. A companion piece to _Journey of Revolution_ by _**emjalen, **_formerly _**Tahiri Veila Solo**_**.**

You can find it on my "Favorite Stories" page or her author's page on my "Favorite Author" list.

**Author's Note:** Big, -big- thank you to** _emjalen_**; I can't thank you enough for giving me the go-ahead to play within the boundaries of your story and 'setting the stage' as it were [not to mention all your help on the story!].

_The debrief at the beginning from General Kenobi [once he starts talking] to Rex is entirely hers and is used with permission._

* * *

**Catalyst**

_Part 1_

_The Resolute, about 6 and a half months before "The Citadel"_

Rex entered the bridge of the _Resolute _to find General Kenobi and Ahsoka waiting for him as he approached where they stood off to the side, speaking in low tones. Ahsoka was obviously arguing about something, the frown on her face anything but cooperative, her gestures expansive even for her.

As he drew near, he caught the tail end of something about his own General - Anakin Skywalker - who was currently in the bacta tank and would be for the better part of the week after a reckless and dangerous landing. That landing that had saved the better part of a full complement of a troop transport. Typical heroically stupid behavior at a cost to his Jedi self. One that had left a gap in an assignment Rex knew the General had been about to embark on with his Padawan.

"General; Commander," he stopped respectfully, offering them both a nod. "Reporting as ordered, sir."

"Rex."

"Captain Rex," General Kenobi's voice was as calm and crisp as always. Coruscanti. Jedi. "As you know, General Skywalker has once again pulled off a landing that has resulted in him being regulated to a bacta tank for the next week." The Jedi hesitated, the barest pause of breath. When he spoke, his tone was softer. "I don't know if you were aware, but General Skywalker and Commander Tano were scheduled to go on an undercover mission. They were to leave in a couple of days, but now…" Kenobi spread his hands futilely.

Rex had known, Ahsoka having told him. But Kenobi wouldn't expect a Jedi Padwan to confide to a clone captain.

"Sir?"

General Kenobi sighed. "The mission is unusual, a gathering of intelligence instead of a sabotage or break in. Normally the Council wouldn't give such a… delicate mission to a padawan, nonetheless Anakin's, but we need every available knight in the field, and Ahsoka was thought to be able to… handle herself the best in the situation. Anakin was merely there to play a small part and act as back up."

Rex's gut clenched as he thought about what Ahsoka had told him and how the Jedi could be expecting her to "handle" herself. Why though, was Kenobi telling him this? If Ahsoka was leaving, the General would simply tell him that he, or another Jedi, was in command.

"Normally I'd go myself," Kenobi continued, "but I am too well known and needed in the field. You, however, Captain, have a record of handling yourself well on unorthodox missions."

A distinct feeling of unease washed through him. Instincts, gained in the lethal dance of battle, began whispering.

Kenobi paused. "This is not an order, Captain. If you accept the mission and wish to change your mind after hearing the parameters or the part you will be expected to play, no one will stop you."

The Jedi then grimaced, showing honest distaste on his face. "This is not a straightforward or honorable mission Captain. Unfortunately, Republic intelligence demands it. No one, not myself, General Skywalker, or the Council will hold it against you if you so choose not to do it."

Rex had a good idea of the part he would have to play. There was no question of him not accepting; partners watched each other's backs. Friends eliminated the dangers before it got to there in the first place.

"Sir, I accept. What are the parameters of the mission, sir?"

* * *

He and Ahsoka left the bridge several minutes later, the look she sent him dubious, clearly not confident of the Council's plan, but having no choice in accepting it.

"You don't look so confident, kid."

"I don't know about this Rex," she glanced back at the bridge and exhaled. "I mean, I know it's important, and we _need _that intel, but… I don't know if I can play the part they want me to. I…" with a shake of her head, she looked forward, matching his steps as they headed for the turbolift, "I've never done anything like this before."

"And I have?"

She blinked at him, and then laughed. "I guess not, huh? You know, I'm glad you're going with me on this one, Rex. Skyguy wouldn't be bad, but…"

"No thanks necessary, Ahsoka," he told her as the turbolift doors opened as they neared and the techs inside departed. He shot one arm out to stop the doors from closing, motioning her in before he continued. "I've got your back, remember?"

"Which is why I'm glad it's you," the smile she'd been wearing began to die as he stepped into the lift with her and the doors closed. "We won't… I mean… this is all a ruse, right? I'm not actually going to be expected to-"

"You're not for sale," he told her frankly, distaste for that particular part of the assignment making his words harsher than he'd intended. "We've a couple of days to prep for this; the General's taken me off rotation until this assignment is complete and Torrent Company will fall under Coric's command until our return. I would suggest we do some research."

"Research?"

Rex inwardly flinched at her uncertain tone. "If we're going to play the part, kid, we should know what that means. The more convincing we can be, the better the chance we can get what we're after."

"So… holonet searches?"

"To start," maybe he could ask Echo and Fives for their help. "If nothing else we can look up some of these terms," he pulled out the datapad the General had given him, "unless you know what a… lap dance is?"

Ahsoka shook her head.

"Pole dance?"

"I assume it has to do with a pole?"

He flashed her a half smile. "What else?"

She shrugged.

"Table or fan dance?"

"I assume they also have to do with tables and fans," her words were frustrated. "Who thinks of these things anyway? Shouldn't the name actually have something of an instruction as to what's expected?"

Rex eyed the screen as the turbolift moved and then shut it off, tucking it back into his belt. "Like I said, kid; research. Echo could-"

"No."

He arched his eyebrows.

"I… I don't want anyone else to know about this, Rex. It's not that I don't trust them, but…"

"I understand," he wasn't thrilled with the assignment, though he'd do it, and she was obviously having major concerns; the fewer people who knew the better. "If we do our research in the barracks, they will."

The doors to the turbolift opened and they exited.

"My quarters," she offered, glancing down the corridor as they neared where they'd part ways. "Oh eight hundred. I'll ask Master Kenobi if he has anything and check Skyguy's mission notes before we access the holonet. If we don't have to, we shouldn't."

"Understood."

She looked so lost, so _confused, _Rex didn't think about what he was doing as he offered her a smile and reached out to wrap an arm around her bare shoulders. She practically launched herself at him, wrapping him in a hug he could feel even through his armor. He carefully folded his arms about her, savoring the moment; hugs weren't a common thing, but when they happened, no matter the reason, he didn't take them for granted. He simply wished, as he did now, that his armor wasn't in the way. It was several long moments before she let go, looking a little less spooked.

"Sleep well, kid; I'll see you in the morning."

"'Night, Rex, and… thanks."


	2. Preparations

**Chapter 1**

The following morning, General Kenobi arrived as Ahsoka was opening the first of Anakin's files about the mission.

"Master Kenobi."

"May I come in, Ahsoka?"

"Of course," she stepped back from the door, looking at him uncertainly. "Is Master Skywalker okay?"

"He's out of the first round of bacta treatments," Obi-Wan assured her, "but he's not out of danger yet. We can't leave him in for longer than twelve hours at a time without risking complications, but I'm assured by the medics he's healing well. I only wish he would be ready by the time you leave tomorrow."

"But he won't be." Obi-Wan shook his head and Ahsoka felt her gut clench. "What is it, Master Kenobi?"

"Cody and I have been called away. The _Resolute _will be yours until Anakin's healed enough to resume command."

"But I won't be here."

"I need to leave instructions for Admiral Yularen based on your mission parameters; he'll need to know where to find you and how to get a hold of you and Captain Rex if something changes."

"I thought this was a blacklisted mission, Master; no evac, no contact."

"It is; however, if the council recalls you due to a fault found in the intelligence, we must be able to communicate with you."

Ahsoka paced across the room once and then back, knowing she was showing her agitation to the other Jedi, but for once not caring. "Master Kenobi… I know I said this on the bridge, but I don't think we should go through with this mission."

"Republic intelligence _needs _those codes, young one. They'll save countless lives and, hopefully, bring this war to a swifter conclusion."

"Unless they notice them missing and change them."

"You will simply have to avoid being caught. It should not be too difficult with the Captain Rex at your back."

"Master-" she stopped, her stomach knotting. "Do you have any more information on our assignment; about our assigned roles?"

"Everything you need should be on the datapad I gave the Captain."

"No, I mean, do you have… definitions. Descriptions." The look on his face was surprised but she forged ahead. "We don't understand the terminology and if… if I have to perform these dances, I need to know what they are." She exhaled. "And Rex needs to know what his position is exactly."

"Neither of you know?"

"Er - it's not exactly covered in their field manuals or my training, Master."

Obi-Wan lifted one hand to stroke his beard. "I'm sure there are examples in the ship's database. I will look to see what I can find and download them to this terminal before I leave. Anything else?"

"Rex and I were talking about checking the holonet for information."

"I would prefer if you did not," Obi-Wan told her bluntly, visibly disturbed. "But, seeing as how you will not be able to be convincing should the databanks of the ship not provide the necessary instruction, you may. Be discreet, Ahsoka; search only what you must."

"Yes Master."

"May the Force be with you, Padawan."

"And you, Master Kenobi."

He left, his absence doing nothing to alleviate the on edge feeling which had settled about her; in fact, their discussion had done nothing to decrease the feeling, only enhance it.

Obi-Wan hadn't been thrilled with the idea of providing her research material. More and more she was getting the feeling that this particular assignment wasn't one she was going to enjoy, no matter its necessity. Would Rex enjoy his part of the mission? She wasn't sure.

Jedi tended to be sheltered before being sent about in the Galaxy with a Master, and nothing in her training had prepared her to play a 'burlesque coquette' as described in the mission debrief. Rex, previously Anakin's post, was to play her male counterpart; her Hustler.

Whatever that was.

Obi-Wan had briefly described them as a girl with charms for hire, who danced to showcase her talents, and the man who acted as her protector and sought her clients. The _way_ he'd described it sounded distasteful, _sexual_, and almost slave like - something Anakin would _never _have agreed to if he'd known.

It was well beyond her scope of experience, whatever it was, and she hoped a little research would help answer some of her questions.

Turning away from the door with one eye on the chrono, Ahsoka settled at the command console she'd been accessing when Obi-Wan had arrived and began to peruse the first file.

There was little of interest in most of Skyguy's brief and uneventful mission updates; the council hadn't apparently told him _what _they were going to be doing or what roles they would be playing before his heroic crash. _Probably_, she reflected ruefully, _because if he'd known he was basically acting as my slave master, he'd never have agreed to it._

Nothing helpful there.

Reluctantly, she turned away from the console, deciding it would be better to wait for Rex before delving into the holonet. They'd need to talk about what to research first, and it was better if they did it as a team.

The knock that sounded a moment later drew her from her thoughts and her gaze went to the chrono. _Right on time as always Rexster._She raised her voice to be heard through the door. "Come in."

He did, stepping across the threshold and taking in her room at a glance. She knew what he'd see.

Candles. Incense. Luxuries Jedi were supposed to eschew, but ones she knew Skyguy overlooked because they helped her concentrate. Her bunk was half again the size of Rex's; she knew - she'd seen his cot and felt a touch guilty about it, but Rex had insisted it wasn't an issue. He was used to it; he'd grown up with it.

"How you holding up, kid?"

"Uneasy." She admitted as the door closed behind him, beckoning for him to join her. "Master Kenobi was just here a few minutes ago. He and Cody have been called away."

"Were you able to ask about our mission?"

"He's supposed to be-" the terminal dinged, "-sending me vids from the computer database. Anything we don't find in here, we have permission to search the holonet for." She made no move to turn as he joined her and Ahsoka vacated the seat, motioning for him to sit. "You're taller than me," she explained helpfully when he looked disinclined to take it. "I can lean on your shoulders."

"What're our restrictions with the holonet?"

"As needed," she sighed, placing one hand on the back of the chair and leaning on it as he settled in. "I'm… nervous about opening those files, Rex."

"Any particular reason?"

She grimaced, feeling his gaze on her and trying to ignore the flutter having him alone in her room with her caused in her stomach; the room suddenly seemed smaller, much as it did whenever he was around lately, and this time was no exception. "Master Kenobi was _very _reluctant to help. I get the feeling this isn't a mission we're going to like."

"We knew that yesterday; that's no surprise." He turned his attention back towards the console. "The only way to find out is to look."

"Yes, but... knowing I'm supposed to be showcasing my..."

"Charms?" Rex sent her an encouraging half smile over his shoulder. "Other than attract the attention of the one Seppie and get close enough to retrieve the information, there's no one else who will touch you. I promise."

His grim, almost solemn vow at the last touched her, making her feel all funny inside. "Thanks Rex."

A short nod and he was looking back at the screen. "Ready?"

Reluctantly, she gave him a nod and the go ahead. Rex turned to the computer and checked the download to the terminal. The file names were like the ones on the datapad they'd examined last night and in alphabetical order. Biting her lip, she watched him open the first one, starting at the top of the list.

Two tabs appeared; one was information, the other a holo display. Rex opened the information first and a brief blurb appeared. _This kind of dancing is primarily done as a way to tease an audience and give the illusion the dancer is wearing next to nothing or nothing._

"Next to nothing?" She didn't like the sound of that.

"Only says it _appears _that way, kid," Rex assured her, selecting the video file, "I'm sure you're not actually, er... unclothed."

_Naked_.

The word slid into her thoughts unbidden as she found herself suddenly wishing Rex had said it. Glad he wasn't watching her, she focused instead on the information the Master Kenobi had forwarded.

The terminal made a sound as the blue holographic image of a Twi'lek female appeared. She was bare wherever visible; from shoulders to toes, the middle of her covered by the most exotic looking fan, made from some kind of feathers, that Ahsoka had ever seen. They covered her to mid-thigh where she appeared to be naked again.

Ahsoka cocked her head as the dance started, a second fan being revealed and both being used as props to alternately cover and reveal bits of the dancer's body, teasing the viewer with the possibility of a reveal that was never given. The vid wasn't long, a minute or so, before it shut itself off.

"That wasn't so bad," Ahsoka offered, intrigued, missing the look Rex shot her way and the clenching of his jaw. "Kind of like... a peep show."

"Did Master Kenobi confirm you're supposed to be a dancer?"

"You heard him, same as me, yesterday. Besides, everything listed in the profile is dancing," she shrugged, "the logical conclusion is that it's my cover even if he hadn't said so. What's the next one?"

The file, like the one before it, opened with two visible tabs. Rex opened the information first, a brief blurb - _this kind of dancing is primarily to excite the target by gyrating and grinding against their pelvic area, typically done female to male _- appearing for a moment.

The image that blossomed in Ahsoka's head was suggestive, featuring herself and the clone Captain sitting at her holonet station, catching her off guard before she banished it guiltily.

Rex selected the file, thankfully unaware of her discomfort and momentary lapse, but what appeared before her was nothing like what she'd seen in her imagination.

The blue holo of a scantily clad human female was approaching the male on a nearby chair, with his legs slightly spread, allowing her to step between them. Booted heels boosted her height, making her the perfect level to cradle the man's face within her breasts; she danced around him with deliberate intent. Her actions were anticipatory, her partner obviously waiting.

And then she was straddling and gyrating on the lap of a human man, rubbing her bottom obscenely against him. In slow motion, she slid backwards and forwards across his lap, shifting position even as she never lost contact, stretching her neck to tilt her head back and lie it against the man's shoulder..

A rush of heat swept through Ahsoka's veins, darkening the chevrons on her montrals and the tint of her sienna skin as she wondered what kind of mission required her to... to... _grind_ against men as a way of playing a part? The idea was repulsive and disgusting, she couldn't _imagine-_

The image she'd banished before sprang to mind, replacing the one before her, of herself dressed as the girl and Rex in the man's position. Her body grew hot as she envisioned grinding herself down onto his lap and having him respond. Swallowing hard, her hand clenched on the back of the chair to steady herself in the wake of the fantasy, the _yearning _it produced catching her totally off guard.

It appeared the man in the holo was delightfully pained - would _Rex _look that way? - but his hands held the woman's hips, driving her down into the-

The vid switched off.

"No _kriffing _way."

She darted a look at him, knowing her embarrassment was plain to see, guilty for having been caught in her fantasy . "Rex, I-"

"You're _not_," he broke in before she could formulate an apology, "doing _that osik _for anyone, especially not a Separatist!"

Relieve she hadn't been caught, but embarrassed all the same, she winced before answering, the fantasy disappearing before it had really begun, completely missing what drove his response. "It's part of the mission Rex," her protest was half hearted but intentional; she didn't exactly have a choice. "You read the debrief the same as I did. The only way to get close to the target is likely like _this_."

"You can't tell me you want to sit on some Seppie's lap and-"

"Of _course_ I don't!" She let go of the chair, striding away, needing to move away from _him_ as the reality of _why_ she might have to do something like _that _hit her with the shocking effect of a cold shower. "I didn't ask to do this, Rex; I was _ordered_ to. If you don't want to help me..." she faltered, looking back at him, suddenly feeling vulnerable. She _needed _Rex for this assignment; nobody else would do.

He visibly exhaled. "That," he waved at the terminal, having risen to his feet while her back was turned, but still near the console, "whatever _that_ is, shouldn't need to be. It's debasing; you're better than that. You _deserve _better than this!"

"And if... if doing _that _dance can gain me access to the data crystal and save the lives of millions?"

He was silent, watching her with an unfathomable expression.

Swallowing hard, she came back towards him. "Like you said before, according to the mission briefing, I only have to do that... that _dance _for one person; the target. There's mention of a routine of dances, so maybe I can combine several of the others that aren't as... involved."

His expression was completely closed and it took a long minute of him looking at her with the honey brown eyes that intruded upon her thoughts at the strangest moments before he said anything more. "The fan dance was fine," Rex admitted, settling himself back in the chair.

Ahsoka wished she could read his mind in that moment. He was giving nothing away. "Fine? It needs to be better than _fine _if this is going to succeed, Rexster."

He visibly tensed and then tilted his head her way enough to catch her eye as she stopped by his shoulder again. "I think you'd master it; you wouldn't even have to change."

Ahsoka blinked, looking down at her tube top, skirt and leggings with her boots over top and arched a brow. "How do you figure that?"

"The fans in that holo covered from here," he lifted one hand to the level of her tube top, "down to here," it dropped to just below her battle skirt. "You'd have to lose the leggings and boots-"

She started to chuckle, seeing the appeal, but couldn't resist teasing him. "Why Rex; don't want to see me in something like that last one?"

The human female's costume had been scanty; barely triangles over her nipples and a wave of fabric down across her privates connected to a heavy belt. She'd been naked without being naked; quite the accomplishment.

A dull flush of color appeared at the base of her Captain's neck, drawing her attention, as it slowly climbed towards his ears and face. He turned back towards the terminal, moving on to another information file without answering her question. Staring at the back of his head, for it was unlike him, it took her a moment to realize why.

Rex was _blushing_.

Had she _ever_ seen him blush before? The knowledge gave her a warm fuzzy feeling that made her stomach flip flop. She'd made _Rex_ blush! But... how? She'd only asked... Oh Force; did he _want_ to see her in something like the dancer? Surely not _her _straight shooting Rex - right?

Knowing better than to mention it, they read the rest of the information sections in silence. When that didn't quite kill the previous mood, they watched the rest of the dances, also in silence, Ahsoka paying attention to the detail.

The pole dance looked interesting enough to test her agility and balance, not to mention just plain _fun_, while the table dances struck her as a bad idea, especially since the target was known to frequent a specific cantina. Table dancing at a cantina seemed to be asking for trouble of the being pulled _off _the table sort.

There were additional notes about other versions of the dances she could look at, along with vid tags from Obi-Wan, and a note of apology he'd not included the instructional footage provided from the temple sooner, but neither touched them. Ahsoka decided she'd look at them later to try and help decide what was best for this dance routine she needed to create.

Once getting a preliminary idea of just what exactly her job as a dancer was going to entail, they were forced to access the holonet for information about Rex's.

"I sure hope you enjoy your assignment more than I do," Ahsoka told him in an aside as they waited for the ship to query the galaxy wide network and correlate the data. "One of us mortified beyond belief will be enough."

He didn't laugh, but he did reach back to grasp the hand she'd moved to his shoulder while discussing the pros and cons of the pole dancing holo. She squeezed even though she knew he wouldn't feel it through his armor, wishing there was fabric and skin beneath her fingertips and knowing it was wrong to do so. Her attraction to Rex wasn't going to help matters; especially when he didn't feel the same way.

The computer dinged as it rang up the search results. What came up for "Hustler" was more than they bargained for.

Apparently the seller of her charms could also partake; meaning they not only had to play the roles of servant and master, but lovers as well. Kind of. Apparently not all burlesque coquettes were willing.

In her case, according to the brief, she was not only willing but cooperative; had they _really_ expected her and Skyguy to be able to act like lovers? Ick! He was like... like her older _brother_, and the very thought turned her stomach... whereas, with Rex in the role, it did something entirely different to her stomach.

Ahsoka was caught up in a series of mixed feelings and completely missed the surge of alarm Rex exuded before tramping down on it. The idea of having to _act _like his lover was so appealing it momentarily short circuited her Force senses.

Only after inquiring after her twice, was he able to grab her attention. As she looked at him, Ahsoka brought her mind back to task with a firm, but silent, admonishment. _Rex_ felt nothing for her beyond the respect and loyalty of a subordinate and friend, and she would do well to remember that; no matter what more she might desire. If she could decide on _what _that was.

The information they garnered after four searches was enough for both of them.

Some hustlers were nice, others rough and yet others abusive, mistreating their girls in the worst kind of ways. Most were charming but that wasn't a necessity, and all were persuasive. Whether at blaster point or for other reasons, all of them had anywhere from one to as many as five women working for them and providing any kind of service they required for their gathered clients.

Rex would 'work' with her exclusively.

Their research proved to be enlightening, adding details and information to their limited resources, Rex adamantly against her giving out any kind of sexual favors the moment they'd discovered that was the secondary nature of 'purchasing favors' - and for that Ahsoka was grateful.

She wasn't big on the idea of having to 'service' men, especially never having done it before, for any kind of mission.

"So I'm _really _not for sale then," she quipped, relieved, needing to hear him say it again.

"Under no circumstances," he agreed grimly, his jaw tight, an expression she could only read as determined on his face. "If they don't take no for an answer, I'll shoot them."

She couldn't help it; she laughed. "With you watching my back, there's nothing I have to worry about is there?"

Rex hadn't answered, but he hadn't needed to. They were going to be a team and team mates as close as they were didn't need words. Most of the time.

He left her room later that afternoon, promising to meet her in time for their insertion early the next morning; he had to prep Coric as to his absence and turn command over officially in the event something went horribly wrong.

Reminding him to 'wear something appropriate' for the drop, he was gone. Ahsoka stared at the closed door after he'd left for a full minute before shaking herself and turning back to the console, the conflict within her surprisingly fierce.

On one hand, she was being sent on a dangerous mission with just Rex where they'd both have to play parts they weren't particularly thrilled about.

On the other, she was being sent on a dangerous mission _alone _with Rex.

She shivered and deliberately forced the thought away, knowing that, despite his absence, her research hadn't finished yet. She needed to know as much as she could about the types of activities and dances and behavior she might need to portray and, within the files provided, there was a mine of untapped sources.

Taking a deep breath, for she knew what was coming next wouldn't be easy, she focused on the mission and opened the first file.


	3. Mission: Day One

**Author's Note:** Updates are "Torrent Company Thursdays" ;)

Mando'a Translation [I think it's the only phrase I use in the whole story - go figure :p]

_Nu'draar = _The most emphatic denial in all of the Mando'a language, it literally means "Not Ever". I liken it to the English saying of "Over my dead body"_  
_

* * *

_Mission Day One_

Insertion into the city without a name went off without a hitch. It was a rough city, in the less populated areas of Ord Mantell, housing mostly temporary workers and toughs, a wild place that catered to the rougher elements of society and their passions. Gaming hells, halls and taverns abounded; burlesque entertainments, dance halls and brothels creating a core that was as seedy as anything Coruscant could provide in its lowest levels.

Illegal entertainment practically fueled the economy, with law and order more whispers of mention than actual pillars of society.

It was the antithesis of everything Rex had been raised on; a world so foreign, all his research had provided him with very little in the way of actual assistance when it came to anything beyond attitude and language, leaving the ambiguous moral code of the underworlders completely to his imagination until he got some proper exposure.

So it was that Rex found himself and Ahsoka, dressed in the brown half robes of the typical traveler, reporting to the coordinates sent to them as they'd landed. Their information was being relayed in steps, as noted on the datapad provided from General Kenobi, a special chip within the hardware allowing it to accurately judge when an objective, location wise, had been accomplished.

Entering the city without a name had been one such marker and new instructions were uploaded to the datapad. Stepping away from the port where the _Twlight_ had dropped them, they paused outside the door to check the soft _ding_that heralded new information.

Rex, the keeper of the datapad, pulled it out and flipped it on, an address appearing on the screen. Ahsoka, standing opposite him gave him a curious look. "An address," he reported, reading it through twice. He felt her eyes on his face, rereading the instruction again, his jaw tightening. "And directions; to _our _room."

This mission was just getting worse and worse.

First, Skywalker had managed to land himself in bacta, relaying the mission itself to his second in command - which meant _him_. Second, he'd learned he would have to play the role of an underworld thug. That he could do; what he hadn't expected the role to entail was attempting to 'sell' Ahsoka's sexual favors - his gut twisted with the thought, an immediate, _over my dead body_, response popping immediately to mind - or pretending to partake of them.

Lastly, he'd learned _exactly_ what Republic Intelligence - and he had some thoughts about _that_ he couldn't voice - expected Ahsoka to _do _to obtain the information they needed; every fiber of his being rebelled against it. Excuses why she shouldn't have even been considered for this mission numbered in the dozens; the hundreds - yet it all came down to one thing.

Experience was everything.

He'd told her that once and now it had come back on him.

Ahsoka's handling of herself in the field had been noted, commended and _rewarded_- he was going to have to speak with someone about that too - with a mission that wasn't only dangerous and difficult, but blacklisted. Someone of her caliber was needed and that someone proved to be her.

In other circumstances, he supposed she could have been flattered, possibly even overjoyed, by the recognition... except in this instance, she was being asked to do something no teenager should ever be. By Rex's way of thinking, the _di'kut's _at GAR Intelligence needed to have their heads examined.

And now this.

On top of everything else, they'd been given a room.

One.

Singular.

To _share _as part of their cover identities.

It made him wonder who he'd pissed off at GAR Intel to land him this assignment before it occurred to him he'd never been intended to get it. Shaking the thought aside and bracing himself, he lifted his gaze to meet hers, her blue eyes azure pools of uncertainty as she echoed his words. "Our room?"

"We're sharing a room apparently," he told her with forced good humor, "as a part of our..."

She nodded with understanding when he didn't finish the sentence and looked away, biting her lip.

Rex found himself admiring the curve of her cheek, the way her teeth made her lip look that much fuller, riper than before, and had the strangest urge to replace her teeth with his own. He shook it off; they were here for a job, not idle flirtation and unwanted fantasy.

Looking around, he nodded towards a speeder-for-hire stand. "Let's go."

It didn't take them long to find their lodgings; a small suite on the top level of a two story building on the edge of the district where the cantinas were found. It looked more upscale than the dives further down but not, Rex was relieved to note, as posh as the buildings near the landing zone.

The trip to the room was quick; a single flight of old fashioned stairs leading to one of four electronically locked suites on the top level. Keying in the code on the datapad to the room they'd been assigned, Rex unlocked the doors and opened them, motioning Ahsoka inside.

As the doors closed behind them as Rex took it all in; a public room with chairs and no sofa. It also held two tables, one for meals with the accompanying dual, hard back and seat chairs, the other between two overstuffed arm chairs. All in all, it was furnished far too gaudy for his taste.

They exchanged looks; the room, for its entire haute coulter, screamed _business_.

Ahsoka, squaring her shoulders, led the way to the room at the back through a pair of closed double doors. She pushed them open - and stopped.

It was a bedroom.

The largest bedroom Rex had ever seen and his eyes widened as he drew to a stop behind her, not touching, but within distance to feel the energy radiating off her body.

Easily the size of the main room, the bedroom was done in a tasteful blue and red scheme that wasn't too hard on the eyes, gold inlaid in the embossing of the wall's designs. But it wasn't the walls or the red carpet that held his attention; it was the Torrent Company blue monstrosity of a bed that dominated the room.

On a slightly raised dais, four posters holding a canopy, it could have slept three of him easily. Covered in a mess of pillows and blankets, far more than any one or two people could ever need, it screamed decadence and his mind blanked for a moment as he tried to figure out what they would _possibly _need it for.

An image of the young woman before him sprang immediately to mind to fill the gap, tucked within the sheets, her bare shoulders visible as she smiled at him with the teasing, almost beckoning smile he loved to see on her-

"Rex?"

He blinked, the fantasy vanishing, and glanced down to find Ahsoka staring at him uncertainly. "Yes, Commander?"

"Ahsoka," she reminded him. "A slip like that, and we're both dead."

"Sorry, kid - Ahsoka," he shook his head to clear it. "Did you ask me something?"

"There's only the one bed; are we supposed to sleep in shifts?"

"After everything we've read, I suspect they expect us to share it."

She went still. "S-share?"

It stung she seemed so against the idea but he nodded. "Don't worry about it; I'll keep watch while you sleep and you can do the same for me."

"Ah..." she flushed, looking away, the color carrying through from her cheeks to her lekku, darkening the chevrons in a way that was more appealing than it should have been; it made him want to _touch_. "I... don't mind if you... if _we_... That is, we _could _share the bed; it's big enough."

Her color darkened further and Rex realized with a start she was embarrassed - and trying to apologize. "Why don't we figure out what comes next and-"

_Ding!_

They stared at one another and, to his relief, she began to chuckle. "The datapad?"

He nodded ruefully. "There's this rumor in the Legion you need only ask for something to get it, but this is the first time it's happened."

"What's it say?"

He pulled out the datapad. "Check the closet."

Ahsoka cocked her head, shrugged, and strode over to the armoire in the corner. With a quick flick, she opened the doors, the panels retracting into the wall - and they both stared.

Glitzy, glittery fabric practically poured from within, the light catching on sequins and gems, fabric so sheer you could see the one next to it and so soft Rex didn't need to feel it to know it would give him shivers. Shoes - if one could call them that - of each color of cloth sat neatly on the floor.

All but one pair, a large combat style boot, in black leather with silver buckles. These were below two black outfits, shirts and pants hung together, with a leather trench coat on the last hangar by the wall. If Rex didn't miss his guess, he spied a set of holsters strung on the same hangar and the faint bulge of blaster pistols within the leather fabric.

Their mission parameters had required they come unarmed and unarmored, dressed in typical civilian garb and without luggage; they'd done as instructed, though Rex knew it had pained her to leave her lightsaber behind. Just as it had gone against everything within him to leave his decees and armor, but he had done so. The plain brown shirts, pants and boots they both wore went well with the ponchos.

"I think these are mine," Ahsoka teased, pointing to the black outfits. "You'll look so sharp in..." she trailed off as she pulled a pale blue skirt off the line, her face freezing in shock. The fabric was almost sheer, a golden belt the waistband, and two wisps of cloth Rex couldn't call anything remotely resembling a shirt, dangling from the hangar.

Ahsoka dropped the hangar as if burned. "I can't..."

Her stricken expression hit him low in the gut, and Rex strode to where she was standing. Scooping the so-called outfit from the floor and setting it back in the closet before closing the door and turning to her. One more look at her face and he inwardly groaned, his voice gruff. "Come here."

She went willingly, sliding into his arms as he hugged her close. The moment his arms slid around her, he _knew _this was a bad idea. Even through the layers of fabric they both wore, she was in his arms without his armor; a sensation that would undoubtedly haunt him later as he revisited every touch, every sensation in the privacy of his mind. He forced himself to focus on the fact she doubted her role in the mission; questioned her ability to pull it off.

"You'll do fine, Ahsoka; _we'll _do fine," he squeezed her tightly before reluctantly setting her away to look down into her eyes, putting every ounce of his conviction in her abilities into his voice. "If we stick to the plan, we'll be better than fine. Don't think about wearing those clothes; think of them like... costumes," the inspiration struck from a story she'd once told him about customs, a right of passage that involved dressing up, from her home planet. "Costumes that can transform you into someone you're not."

"But still be the same person inside," she still looked shaken, but smiled. "I can't believe you remember that."

"I remember everything you tell me," he offered with a faint smile, letting her go and stepping back. "We'll get through this together. Let's see what we have to work with and we'll go from there, deal?"

She squared her shoulders, as he'd hoped, and nodded. "Deal."

Several minutes later, their search and the datapad's instructions ran dry, and they discovered they had about everything they expected. Ahsoka had determinedly pulled every outfit from the closet, including the black ones, to lay them on the bed.

In addition to the leather coat, a man's coat and obviously built for someone like Rex, she'd confirmed the existence of dual blaster pistols. Common DL-44s; not what he'd have chosen for himself, but common enough to not raise suspicions. If he had time, Rex knew he'd have to do some minor modifications; if nothing else, it would give him something to occupy his mind.

Ahsoka had found under _things _and adornments for the outfits, some of which he hadn't a clue what they were for, in the dresser beside the armoire and props for dances in a trunk tucked discreetly beside it. Additionally there had been something called cosmetics in an attached 'fresher that Ahsoka had seemed to know what to do with and a small, portable computer and scanner built into a wristband that Rex assumed was for him.

They laid everything they'd found out before staring at one another across the expanse of the sheets, Rex noting that Ahsoka looked more amused now than concerned. She proved it by cracking a joke.

"I don't know how often they expected me to entertain, but I think they might have gone a touch overboard; I'll never be able to wear all of these."

_Thankfully_, Rex agreed silently. There were more than a couple of the two dozen outfits he intended to veto right away. "It pays to have variety."

"I'll trade you," she offered. "I'd rather wear leathers anyway."

"Not a chance, kid; good as you'd look, I doubt the target's into that kind of thing."

She laughed. "Once you manage to get those on, Rexster," she nodded to the leather pants that went with his clothes, reaching out to run one finger down the length of the slick looking fabric, "you're going to be able to be classified as a lethal weapon; it's not me who's going to draw the attention."

"I think you underestimate the power of your allure." He returned dryly, "Trust me; once we're suited up, no one will be looking at _me_."

"Should we," she reached for one of the blue, less sheer outfits, her hand hesitating over it, "try this stuff on?"

Much as he wanted to say no, Rex knew it was a sound idea. "You first."

Ahsoka shook her head, drawing away from the bed with a jump as she snatched her hands behind her. "Oh no; I've got more than you to try on; you go first."

Seeing she needed the time, likely to gather her courage, Rex didn't fight her logic. He simply collected the leathers and retired to the 'fresher.

* * *

Ahsoka couldn't help but stare as Rex stepped out of the 'fresher several minutes later.

Gone was the dashing Clone Captain she was used to seeing in white; his familiar countenance was always inspiring, and dashing, when he went without his helmet. The man before her now was those things and more.

Her gaze dropped to the floor and the long, strong, _bare _toes that gripped the carpet as he turned partially, adjusting the fit.

Unable to help herself, her eyes traveled over the arch of his insoles to the hem of the leather that lovingly enclosed his ankles. Hanging loose there, and _only _there, they closed in over the muscles of his calves. The fabric caught the light as it dipped into the indent of his knees before stretching taut over his thighs and across his hips and-

She skirted the bulge at the front of his pants and instead feasted her eyes upon the faint outlines of a six pack of abdominal muscles that made her mouth go dry, the thin fabric of the t-shirt clinging to him lovingly, almost like a second skin - or the embrace of a lover. She couldn't tear her gaze away from the expanse of tanned skin where the shirt ended at his neck, the urge to suddenly _nip-_

_"Ahsoka."_

His muscles rippled and she flushed, feeling it clear to her toes, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Her gaze flew to his face as she registered belatedly he'd said her name - probably more than once.

"W-what?"

"I said; what do you think?"

Her jaw worked, biting her tongue on her first reaction, struggling to give him an honest answer that didn't involve a personal response that would freak him out. His appearance had calmed her nerves even as she'd apparently lost her ability to form basic sentences.

Rex looked… _smoking _hot.

"It's a good look for you," she finally settled on, knowing it was an understatement.

"Are they supposed to be this tight?"

Her breathing caught and she spun away, closing her eyes as she struggled against the image he'd presented, turning to go back into the 'fresher to collect something, and the image of his perfectly toned buttocks cupped with such loving detail within the leather seat. She gasped, near hyperventilating, admonishing herself sternly that this was _Rex _and he wouldn't appreciate her ogling him.

"Ahsoka?"

"Yes," the word squeaked out roughly and she was forced to clear her throat before trying again, her voice coming out more normal this time around. "Yes, Rex; I think they're supposed to be that way."

He said nothing and she dared to look behind her. Rex was standing in the door to the 'fresher with an unreadable look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Fine."

Except she wasn't; it had just hit her that Rex was going to be wearing that temptation inducing outfit until the end of the mission. This was his costume, his cover; Rex in leather was going to be sitting next to her, across from her, _sleeping _with her-

"Ahsoka?"

A soft whimper escaped her, a slightly pained sound she just barely managed to throttle. "I'm fine," she reiterated, her voice sounding off even to herself; she'd never be _fine _again! How was she supposed to go back to the _Resolute _after this and go back to the way things had always been between her and Rex with the knowledge of that spectacular, perfect musculature under his armor? "Are you done?"

"Just let me change-"

"Uh-" much as she wanted him too, she knew he shouldn't. She coughed and choked, drawing his frown and Ahsoka shook her head. "You might as well get used to wearing 'em, Rexster; they're your uniform for however long it takes to find this guy."

He looked startled, glancing down at himself, and if she hadn't been so pained, would have found it comical. He looked like he was about to object before shaking his head and looking back her way thoughtfully. "My uniform, is it?"

Ahsoka nodded.

He disappeared into the 'fresher, giving her another look at his backside in leather - enough to make her gulp - before exiting with the clothing they'd worn coming into the city.

Then, suddenly, the 'fresher was empty and it was her turn. Ahsoka found her trepidation for trying on the costumes left for _her _had all but vanished, replaced by the need to knock Rex for a loop - as he'd done to her.

Or at least try.

Collecting the outfits with a determined sweep of her arm, she marched towards the 'fresher.

* * *

While Ahsoka was changing, Rex took the opportunity to hang the other set of clothes left to him, the nondescript brown outfit going next to it, near the back of the closet where the trench coat had been hanging. There was nothing else in the closet, except the shoes, and Rex took a moment to check the security.

It was something he should have done immediately, but thankfully, the scanner proved to be quiet.

The leather chaffed rather uncomfortably and, after casting a glance at the 'fresher door to ensure it was still closed, he put his back to it, undid them, and adjusted how they sat across his hips. It helped even as it tightened the fabric across his backside.

How did anyone wear this get up day to day? He shook his head. At least the shirt was comfortable. Turning back to the bed where the trench coat, holster and dual blaster still lay, Rex scooped one up with a critical eye, checking the charge on the power pack.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention but he didn't take his gaze off the blaster, popping out the power pack to check the alignment of the connector pins. "How's it fit?"

"Fine," she sounded amused. "Couldn't wait to play with your new toys, Captain?"

Something in Ahsoka's voice drew his gaze up to look her way and his eyebrows arched as he took in the most clothing he'd ever seen her in. Covered from neck to ankle, she looked a little like she was covered in a sheet - or rather, several sheets.

It took him a moment to figure out why, connecting the image before him with the videos they'd watched. "Veils?"

Ahsoka nodded, lifting one hand to display the veil that Rex guessed would likely sit across her face. "It was the first thing I grabbed," she told him with a smile, her tone turning teasing. "Should I show you my veil dance?"

"Later," he was looking forward to it. Aside from the fan dance, he felt it was the best of the videos they'd watched; sexy without being indecent. "What else did they give you?"

A quick succession of outfits, most like her normal, day to day wear, were paraded for him as he settled on the bed, stretching out to cross his ankles together as he kept his focus on the blaster pistols between displays. She was beautiful in her costumes, but, thankfully, nothing was more revealing than what she already wore daily. They talked as she changed, leaving the door to the 'fresher open and Rex keeping his head down.

"Rex?"

"Yes?" he adjusted the compensator within one of the DL-44s, tightening it with a couple flicks of his fingers to give the blaster's trigger more sensitivity.

"When are we hitting the cantina?"

"Tomorrow," there was no way he was going in ill rested with the parts they needed to play. "The intel says you'll need to audition for a spot on _The Catalyst's _nightly show."

"You do realize I've never _done _any of these dances before, right?"

He heard the shift in her voice as she stepped back into the bedroom. "Yes." He didn't see a problem with it though; she was graceful by nature. Dancing would be easy for her and torture for him. "What of it?"

"You don't see a problem with that?"

"No." Looking up, his gaze took in the gauzy, near sheer cloth that draped across her hips and thighs, a halter style golden top completing the outfit. She looked thoughtful, alerting him to the fact she had something on her mind. "Did you?"

She blew out an exasperated breath. "You wouldn't send a shiny into battle without basic training, Rex; how is this any different?"

"You're going to be _dancing_, Ahsoka; not pretending to be an acrobat in the middle of a war zone."

"And if I slip or mess up?" she placed her hands on her hips, cocking one in a pose that was as sexy as it was irritated and his gaze lingered for a moment longer than it should have before lifting to hers again. "We're… _I'm _only going to get one shot at this. The target's profile says he never goes for the same girl twice."

Pushing himself up, he placed his feet back on the floor, the broken down blaster on the bed all but forgotten with the unease churning in his gut. He didn't like where this was going even though he could see her logic. "If you can't get close, the blasters have a stun setting."

"If it were that easy, we wouldn't be here, Rex." Ahsoka looked grimmer, but more determined, than he'd ever seen as she turned back to the 'fresher. "I'm just going to have to find somewhere, and someone, I can practice with."

_"Nu draar!" _His harsh use of Mando'a drew her back around in surprise as he shot to his feet. "You're _not _going out there to-" he barely caught himself in time from saying something he shouldn't, somehow keeping his tone even, "-blow our cover while you try and get experience."

"You're the one who told me experience is everything!"

"Then if you have to practice, do it here."

"Here."

His gut tightened with anticipatory dread. _Not _one of his brighter ideas; he'd been trying to keep images of Ahsoka dancing from his brain since they'd watched those holos. Still, he'd put forward the idea and as tough as it would be for him personally, it would keep her safe – and that made it worth it. "We're secure here. If you mess it up, you can work on it until you don't."

"_All _of my dances?"

He nodded.

"Even the… the lap dance?"

"Even that one."

"I'm going to need someone to practice on Rex, are you _sure _it's okay?"

He would probably immolate from the friction, but he'd die mostly happy. "I'm _sure_."

"Then you can help me find someone to-"

"Me."

"What?"

"If you have to practice on someone," he told her flatly, tucking his hands into his back pockets and unintentionally stretching the leather that much tighter across his hips and groin, "practice on me."

She stared at him and that interesting flush of color he found so fascinating surged into the chevrons of her lekku and montrals and across her cheekbones. "Y-you don't have to do that for me, Rex."

He exhaled softly, her embarrassment mitigating some of the irritation he felt. "Yes I do. Practicing on anyone else will get our cover blown. If you need to practice on someone, it's me or no one."

Ahsoka visibly swallowed, her gaze dropping back to his pants for a heartbeat before darting away. "I... er... Thanks Rexster." She darted back towards the 'fresher, closing the door behind her, her "I appreciate it!" nearly throttled to silence through the barrier.

Rex got the sinking feeling he was going to regret this.

* * *

Ahsoka danced for him that night, showing off the routines she had in mind for a fan dance, which got him hot under the collar and made sitting a painful torture, and a veil dance that was sexy enough he thought he might embarrass himself.

He forced himself to analyze, to distance himself from the actual sensuous nature of the dance by retreating into his mind and thinking of her dances like a battle tactical map. The tactic worked, mostly, and in doing so he noted a few things.

Her body movements, for all they were exaggerated, looked familiar and the foot work and hand motions in each dance reminded him of her katas and lightsabre routines. When he said so, she cheekily explained that they were the basics for it.

Ahsoka's _Master_, of all people, had apparently told her that when lying, it was always better to add a touch of the truth to help keep it real. This lesson she had applied to her dancing; she knew her katas and lightsabre practice routines by heart; it only stood to reason they'd stand her in good stead now.

She'd also shown off a couple of the moves she could use for a floor routine and a pole dancing routine even though they didn't have one where she could practice.

They'd worked on each routine together, Rex offering pointers when she seemed to falter; things that had been in the holos, and even some things that hadn't. It had involved him getting up to dance with her at one point, which had helped ease the tension between them somewhat when she's wrapped a veil around him and used it for leverage to get him to participate. For all there were subtle, intense emotional waves vibrating from one to the other, he grudgingly admitted to having had fun.

Until she attempted to give him a lap dance.

Rex, high strung from the others and his desire to touch her, had pleaded exhaustion and made to retire, ending the night with a decisive 'No' and leaving her to take first watch.

He retired to the bedroom only to realize he'd brought nothing to sleep in. After a little searching, he'd turned up little to nothing. In the end, he'd take a vibroknife from the collection of weaponry he'd found in a drawer in the main room, and cut the legs off his traveling clothes.

After a cold shower, he settled on one side of the massive bed and folded his hands behind his head. Staring at the ceiling, still humming from the unspoken tension between himself and Ahsoka, despite the frigid dousing, he considered their next course of action.

Beyond the door, in the next room, he could hear her still moving around, the soft undertones of the music she'd selected audible and, surprisingly soothing despite the fact he found her routines playing over and over again in his mind.

Somewhere, between trying to plan for the following evening and Ahsoka's 'audition', and doing his best not to picture her in the other room, he drifted into slumber.


	4. Mission: Day Two

**Author's Note: **So, after some discussion with **emjalen**, updates for this story will be Thursdays and Sundays. Enjoy

* * *

_Mission Day Two - Morning_

Her fingertips were gentle, almost whisper like in their caress as they trained over his chest, catching his attention. Sliding with deliberate purpose across the bare skin of his torso, they curved, tracing the indents and dips of his muscles. He shivered, turning into that touch and reaching for her all in one motion.

She came into his arms willingly, sliding against him, her breasts pressing into his chest, only a gauzy, indistinct barrier between them, his hand sliding down the bare skin of her back. Relishing the texture of her burnished skin, like shimmer-silk under his fingertips, he rolled to put her beneath him, making her purr, his hips settling between hers for a brief moment before he rolled again and drew her onto his chest so not to hurt her.

Her hips undulated against his, the barest scrap of fabric keeping them separated as she pressed down and Rex groaned as he felt her heat; the way she throbbed, aligning their bodies as he'd so longed to do.

Melting across him, hip to hip, she nuzzled his cheek and put her lips to his jaw line.

"Ahsoka…"

With a sigh that was her name, Rex turned towards the soft, damp pressure, his head tilting as his other hand, now free, slid down across the curve of her back. He encountered, and dismissed, the barrier of cloth keeping her from him, sliding his hand beneath the waistband and down over the smooth, bare skin of her buttocks, gripping her just as she nipped him.

Pain, sudden and unexpected, jolted him, disrupting the fantasy.

His eyes flew open.

Ahsoka lay atop him, her hands on his chest, her body cradled intimately against his, his hands on her backside and holding her close - and Rex froze. To his relief, as his gaze dropped to her features, he found Ahsoka was asleep, the covers having slipped to her waist. Her body was covered by a filmy, _short _dress from her collection of outfits rucked up around her hips, his bronzed arms and hands holding it down and covered by the sheets, but he didn't need to see her backside; he could feel it.

Every gloriously supple muscle as she twisted her hips and his hands flexed, holding her down, as he swallowed a groan. She was caught in the throes of a dream, her soft heat a pulsating against the rigid length of his body and Rex, as he tried to lift his hand, felt her start to move again.

Caught, he did the only thing he could think of; he woke her.

"Ahsoka."

A soft sigh was his response, her lips moving down as his head tilted, her breath feathering across his skin and making it prickle, chillbumps that had nothing to do with being cold spreading across his body.

"Ahsoka." He flexed his hands unconsciously, wishing he could move them – and contrarily glad he couldn't. It was the last that added a touch of desperation and command to his tone. "Ahsoka - wake up."

A crease marred her brow, her head shifting, twisting, her montral pressing against the side of his face as her fingers curled inwards.

_"Ahsoka."_

"No need to yell, Rexster," she murmured, her eyes still closed, her lips curling into a lazy smile before yawning. "Is it morning already?"

"Morning," he agreed, his voice slightly strangled. "Can you… get off me?"

Her eyes snapped open, her head jerking upwards and off his chest to look down at him with wide eyes. Fingers splayed across his chest, her unexpected movement made his hands flex as their gazes locked. Her skin darkened from the tip of her montrals to where it disappeared under the covers; to where her sudden shift in posture pressed her that much closer. "Rex."

He didn't answer.

"Rex... your hands are... they're..." she visibly swallowed. "You need to... to..."

His hands clenched along with his jaw before his fingers released and carefully, with agonizing slowness, he pulled them free. Lifting them, he held them out and open and, after a heartbeat of looking at one another, Ahsoka scrambled free, sliding backwards and off before going over the side of the bed. She rolled as she hit the floor and darted for the 'fresher.

Rex closed his eyes, appalled at his lack of self-control, his hands sliding immediately over his groin to shield the aching evidence of his enjoyment to her previous position. The sound of the 'fresher door closing, and the water running for the shower, brought no relief but neither would his unchanged position. Willing his body to quiet, to settle, to _relax _was normally enough, but this morning, it refused to cooperate completely.

Managing to quell it partially, he pushed himself to his elbows and looked cautiously around the room.

The door to the 'fresher was still closed, the water still running. Taking advantage of her departure from the room, he rolled to the edge of the bed, and, as he reached for the leather pants that were his cover, frowned. How had he and Ahsoka ended up asleep together in the bed? He'd left her with first watch, telling her to wake him when she was ready to turn in.

Why hadn't she?

Shaking off the thought, even though he knew he'd have to confront her on it, he quickly changed from his makeshift shorts, as the water shut off, to the leather pants. They were as difficult to get on the second day as the first and he managed to seat them properly, zipping them up, just as the 'fresher door opened.

Collecting the shirt he'd worn the day before, he tugged it over his head before turning to look at her.

Ahsoka had changed into one of the most covering of her costumes, thankfully, using one of the veils from another outfit, to make a makeshift cape. Her face looked freshly scrubbed but she wouldn't meet his gaze; he wasn't sure he could have held it if she had.

"I'm done, Rex," she stepped free from the door. "I'm… going to go practice. In the other room. You can…" she waved at the 'fresher door and scurried from the bedroom.

Probably unaware, as she did, that he was as covered as she. Shaking his head, he took advantage of that distraction and did exactly as she suggested. Cold showers, he suspected as he fought to get the leathers off once more, were going to be a normal part of this mission.

* * *

_Late Morning_

"So what're we supposed to be doing anyway?" Ahsoka asked as they shared a late breakfast.

There was still a tension between them, an unacknowledged embarrassment from that morning, but she was doing her best to ignore it. They needed to work as a team for this, whatever _this _was, because she didn't see how sitting in a posh room was a mission. Wasn't she supposed to be dancing?

"We need to get you hired into the cantina where the Seppie's been seen," Rex pulled out the datapad with the mission data that he'd been studying all morning, not looking at her. "The intel provided says they take girls on either as in house dancers or for freelance hustlers with a cut of their earnings to the house."

"So... audition?"

"Looks that way," he didn't sound too thrilled with the idea and finally glanced her way. "Are you ready?"

"Depends on the kind of dance."

"It's a stage show. Three five minute solo routines a night with improvised dances in between with the other dancers."

"And lap dances?"

"Only if the hustlers agree," his expression was closed, his tone hard. "Apparently they're dances that can be given to increase your earnings."

"And you're against this why?"

"You know why."

She did, but after waking to find herself pressed intimately down against his groin, his hands flush on the bare skin of her buttocks, she suspected there was another reason than just her own trepidation. His reaction to the idea was disproportionate to the reality and it thrilled her to know he wanted her. Could she get him to admit it?

"You just don't want me sitting in some stranger's lap."

"It's more than just sitting," he returned his attention to the datapad and Ahsoka frowned, not liking that he was using it as an escape. "It's sitting and… wiggling on some guy's lap."

"You never know, Rex; I might like it." His head whipped up, his eyes glittering dangerously and she continued. "I won't know until I try."

"If you want to practice, practice," he growled, the sound of his voice thrilling her; he wasn't happy with the idea _at all_. "I won't stop you."

"Like last night, you mean?"

"Right." He nodded once, sharply, pushing to his feet. "If you're going to audition tonight, I need to do a little recon."

"Rex-"

"I won't be gone long."

"Can't it wait?"

He paused, looking at her. "The sooner we identify our target and set up a plan of attack, the sooner we can finish this mission."

Ahsoka almost asked him if it was really so bad spending time with her, but managed to bite her tongue. She was still smarting and _embarrassed_ from how she'd been draped across him upon waking that morning. _At least_ she reflected, _I know what it feels like if I do that lap dance right._Feeling the heat rush through her, Ahsoka knew she should have been appalled by the thought, but Rex didn't seem to notice as he disappeared back into the bedroom.

Into _their _bedroom.

The warm feeling that spread through her with the thought was both uncomfortable and welcome. She was sharing a bedroom with _Rex_. Something she'd never have thought possible. Of course, they were on a mission, and under cover, and that was the _only_ reason Rex was sharing with her, but that he _was _made her heart trip over in her chest. She'd never dreamed…

_Don't lie to yourself, Ahsoka,_ she admonished herself silently. She _had _dreamed of Rex, not quite in the context they found themselves now in, but certainly in ways she'd never dreamed about anyone else. Mostly… mostly she'd dreamed of things like that morning.

Maybe not _quite _that scenario, but certainly she'd found more and more of late she wanted Rex to touch her. The occasional and treasured hug was nice, but she found herself yearning for something… more. A kiss, maybe? Never having been kissed, she wasn't sure, but at the same time, she suspected a kiss from Rex would be something to be savored.

He emerged from the bedroom with a soft jangle of the ties on his boots, shrugging into the leather coat, and Ahsoka's mouth went dry. Decked out from head to toe in black, most of it leather, he looked menacing and dangerous and she had to swallow hard before finding her voice. "Wow."

Rex looked up. "Did you say something , Ahsoka?"

"Just admiring the view," she offered with a cheeky smile. "You look-"

"Like an idiot?"

Laughing at his dry tone, she shook her head. "Good enough to eat."

A flare of heat sprang to life in his eyes and he paused for a moment, staring at her, and Ahsoka wondered if he'd returned the compliment. She was to be disappointed. Rex, true to form, ignored it and set about adjusting the holsters under his armpits. "I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Rex," she sighed, exasperated, as uncomfortable as he with what needed to be done but insistent. "I need your help; I really _do _need to practice."

"Get warmed up," he suggested, striding towards the door. "We need recon to know what we're getting into if you're going to be going out dressed like… that," he waved at her outfit of choice.

Ahsoka glanced down at her outfit with a frown, looking up to ask what was wrong with it, but Rex was gone.

Alone and abandoned, Ahsoka sank back into her chair dejectedly. How was she supposed to practice if he was avoiding her? _Without him,_she decided suddenly. Rex would come back soon, or so he'd said, which meant she needed to be ready to hold him to his word.

Determined to be as prepared as possible, she went to find and cue up recordings of the dances they'd watched and set them on repeat. It didn't take long before the first of them began to play and, frame by frame, her jaw set, eyes intent on the holo, she focused on perfecting the moves. Starting alphabetically, she skipped through the moves she was already comfortable with and focused on what she didn't know, or hadn't yet tried.

If her role was to dance, she would learn them perfectly to prevent suspicion. It was the least she could do to hold up her end while Rex handled his.

* * *

_Two hours later_

Rex returned to the suite they'd been assigned via a series of interlinked skyways that attached the buildings together through the club district. Optimistic that Ahsoka could more than handle the audition, no matter what was asked of her, he keyed in the code and stepped in, to find the main room empty.

Where was-

_"Rex?"_

Ahsoka's voice came from the area of the bedroom as he shrugged out of the jacket and hung it by the door. The holsters went with it and he knew he'd have to change where he was wearing them. Blasters were mostly on blatant display, and his normal, _comfortable _hip bearing method seemed the most logical. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"Hardly. How did it go?"

"Should be easy; you're classier than any female there."

"Compliments, Rex?" Her tone was teasing.

"Should you be calling me Rex?"

She laughed as she appeared in the doorway and stopped, dressed in another filmy costume, this one even briefer than the last he'd seen her in. One of the ones Rex decided then and there, that he was going to veto beyond the walls of their little sanctuary. He didn't know if he should be thankful she was following her own advice and getting accustomed to her costumes, or curse and swear that she seemed intent on torturing him.

"Captain Rex isn't known here and since they didn't assign you a cover, I think Rex is probably a good underworld name."

"Thanks; I think."

"Better than mine."

"Kora isn't so bad."

"I just wish I knew how they'd picked it," she returned with a grin, motioning to a chair in the center of the room. "Take a seat, would you?"

"Why?"

"Because you promised," she told him with an exasperated sigh. "Just do it Rex."

He sat, slowly, watching her with a guarded expression. Once he was seated, nothing happened for a long moment and, as he observed her, he noted she seemed to be gathering her courage. "Now what?"

"Tell me if this works."

Rex's eyebrows nearly hit his hairline as her posture changed.

Lifting one hand, Ahsoka reached back towards the bedroom and softly, barely audible, music with a thrumming, heady beat began to play.

Ahsoka's normally straight backed, head angled proudly, almost soldier-like pose slipped into a type of liquid fantasy. She became loose, her walk changing into something that was a cross between a sashay and a slink, rolling her hips in a fashion he'd never seen. Hell, he hadn't known she _could _walk like that!

There was a bit of an undulation to her body that hinted at pleasures she looked _far_ too young to even _think _about, but everything about her screamed experience. The knowing tilt of her chin; the smoky, almost come hither look on her face; the roll of her hips Rex knew _wasn't _from her Jedi training.

Ahsoka slunk towards him, the fabric of her skirt swaying with each movement, her steps appearing to be deliberately drawn out. She crossed the room straight for him, her expression one of purpose and promise, and suddenly his pants were too tight. Rex was glad he was sitting down. Her look was practically smoldering with heat and he had the distinct impression that if she stepped too close, he'd go up in flames.

Leaning back in his chair, Rex swallowed hard, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, his initial amusement at the shift in her disappearing as she drew near, swaying to the music.

Ahsoka's hands lifted, the long line of her limbs smooth and direct, the move sensual and slow, like moving through space. She shimmied, twisting her hips and shoulders, drawing his gaze to the upturn of her breasts as they heaved within the top, straining against the fabric with the angle of her arms.

Too stunned to move, his gaze traveled over her from the top of her montrals, down over the intense look in her eyes, to the coquettish tilt of her lips, to the roll of her shoulders in an obviously practiced move that echoed from the holo they'd seen.

She slid forward, undulating her body and hips, stopping just beyond his reach as she bent at the waist, her torso straight, running her hands down, over her montrals and lekku as she straightened in slow motion, along the sides of her breasts, down along the sides of her stomach and stepped close, slowly turning with the beat.

_A lap dance._

He swallowed hard, watching her, realizing what she was doing and his hands wrapped around the underside of his chair, his legs pressed together. He'd been in the door for all of five minutes and she'd ambushed him, forcing him to keep his promise. _Yes, forcing,_he thought caustically. Caught in a kind of sensual nightmare that was both torture and fantasy, he could do nothing but play along.

Ahsoka shot him an amused look, reaching down to touch his knees, her fingers curling over the fabric of his pants, applying a pressure as she leaned in, bent at the waist, giving him a straight view down her top. Leaning down, she pushed his knees apart, bending to lean between them and he stiffened impossibly further.

She straightened, the moves controlled and in time with the music, her gaze locking with his as she pushed his knees as far as she needed and slipped between them, spinning in a graceful move to put her back to him as she straddled one leg.

He could feel the way his muscles seemed to pop on the side of his neck as the bare line of her back registered in his brain, his jaw clenching. Her muscles flexed as she placed both hands on his knee and bent, almost like doing a push up, on his leg, not touching him but close. The fabric of her short skirt brushed tantalizingly, teasingly, against the fabric of his pants.

She turned, swaying off his leg with a point and hop before spinning so the tip of her _lek_ grazed his chest as she settled _between _his legs, one hand on either knee, her back sliding down his chest, the curve of her montral against his cheek

He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as he ground his teeth together and struggled to resist grabbing her. _Training_, he admonished himself a touch desperately as she sashayed and undulated against him, _this is training. Necessary practice; she needs to do this for the mission. To make sure it's just right; to ensure no mistakes. She needs my help; don't grab her. Don't grab her; hands on the chair!_

The mantra running through his head, somehow he managed to get through her little dance until, mercifully, she slid away, leaving his lap like water leaving a basin. Not trusting himself, Rex took a moment to collect his control from the fire to whence it had been thrown. Inhaling deeply, he struggled to reign in his libido, concentrating on the ache in his fingers instead of the one behind his fly. When he opened his eyes it was to find Ahsoka standing a couple of feet from him, looking a touch uncertain.

"Was it that bad?"

He almost choked on his tongue. Bad? She thought it was _bad_? He would have laughed if he hadn't felt like screaming. He needed to escape and fast - but didn't quite know how to answer her question without seeming too enthusiastic. His voice wasn't quite as steady as he needed when he spoke. "Er... it was fine."

"Fine?"

He nodded decisively. "Fine."

Ahsoka's shoulders dropped before her expression became determined. "I guess I'll work on it some more. Thanks Rex."

Work on it _more_- oh boy; he was in trouble. He didn't trust himself to get to his feet just yet, though there was no doubt in his mind she knew exactly the effect she'd had on him. She'd been sitting in his lap moments ago and couldn't have missed it. "Will," he cleared his throat, trying to find ground that didn't feel like shifting quicksand, "will you be ready for tonight?"

"As long as I don't have to do a lap dance," she shot him a look he couldn't read. "I'm good on the rest I think; but I can't practice pole dancing. I won't know if I'm any good until I actually try."

The jab was unmistakable and he flinched. The hell with modesty; he had to leave the room. Pushing to his feet, he adjusted himself as she looked away, a flush on her skin, and headed for the bedroom. A cold shower would do him good; something to shock him back to reality. A reality where Ahsoka wasn't his, and they were just partners; a reality where they were on a mission and distractions would get them both killed.

He missed the wounded look she sent him as he exited the room, oblivious to the way she narrowed her gaze and straightened with intent that didn't bode well for him.

* * *

_Fine_. Ahsoka glared at the doorway where Rex had disappeared, fuming. _Fine! The man is practically breaking free of his pants and he says it's _fine_? _If that was _fine _she wanted to know what it would take to blow his mind.

Still... Rex _wanted _her.

Of that she was absolutely certain. He simply wouldn't admit it. Could she get him to? She wanted him; the certainty was like breathing. Admitting it to him wouldn't do her any good yet, but his physical reaction was one she relished, even looked forward to inducing again, but would he let her?

He'd promised to let her practice so practice she would. She'd perfect that lap dance until he couldn't help himself, until he couldn't keep his hands to himself; until he burned for her as she did for him.

The about face from her embarrassment earlier that morning wasn't lost on her. Performing that dance for Rex had brought a few things into startling clarity and one of those was that, before this mission was over, she would get what she wanted. Be it by admission or action, Rex wouldn't be able to hide from her any longer.

Ahsoka gave Rex his space for the remainder of the afternoon, focusing on preparing for the audition that would either make or break their mission. As it turned out, she needn't have bothered.

The audition went off without a hitch, the owner of _The Catalyst _taking one look at her as she set up for the fan dance he'd requested, and going to speak with Rex. She performed anyway, finishing as Rex was shaking the other man's hand and apparently having come to some kind of agreement.

Having the stage to herself, _The Catalyst _was still a couple of hours from opening for the evening, having closed after lunch; she'd come prepared to audition and wouldn't, until the following night, be shown the backstage areas for preparation and costume changes.

From what she glimpsed being in the wings of the stage, the luxury rivaled that of the suite she and Rex were in. It made her a touch uncomfortable to realize that this was actually happening, that the mission was going forward, that one day, as soon as Rex spotted their target and confirmed them, she'd have to perform the dance she'd only performed for Rex.

Her stomach knotted with the knowledge, nerves suddenly assaulting her and overtaking her earlier conviction to use this opportunity for more than it was. Suddenly everything seemed... _real _in a way it hadn't been before, and Ahsoka wondered if she was in over her head.

On one hand she wanted Rex; she wasn't going to waste this opportunity to know for sure if he wanted her too. On the other hand, they were part of a deadly serious game where a single slip could get them both killed. She couldn't chance distracting him like that... could she?

Returning to their suite, Ahsoka cloaked in Rex's jacket to indicate she wasn't for hire, she was quiet and Rex didn't break the silence. It wasn't until they were back inside and she stood huddling within the confines of the leather that had already started to smell like him that she realized she was undecided.

Rex, apparently, wasn't. "Get some rest," he told her, not unkindly, "you did good tonight, Ahsoka."

"I had good help."

"I'll take first watch."

"Rex-"

"Go; sleep."

Seeing he wasn't to be dissuaded, she turned and headed for the bedroom, letting him win until she could figure out exactly what her course of action was going to be. Tomorrow would be her first real performance and the revelation that this was actually happening had shaken her confidence in her appeal.

Yes, the proprietor of _The Catalyst _wanted her in his show, but that just meant he wanted a young, fresh face. She'd felt his desire from across the room and, while repulsed, hadn't let it influence her performance. She couldn't. Tomorrow they were walking willingly and knowingly into the gundark's nest - and Rex was only there to watch her back.

She pulled the jacket tighter around her as she settled on the edge of the bed. Curling into it, she wished she had the nerve to ask Rex to hold her and tell her everything would be okay; that they'd make it out of this in one piece and accomplish their mission. Lacking that, and knowing she wouldn't be getting it any time soon, she rolled onto the bed and closed her eyes.

His scent enveloped her, soothing her and eased her worries.

Rex was there; he would take care of her. He would ensure she could do the task set out for her by the Jedi Council and Republic Intelligence; he would keep her safe and ensure she didn't have to do more than the bare minimum her role required.

Focusing on that reassuring thought, she let it chase her into slumber.


	5. Mission: Day Three: Part 1

**Author's Note:** Since "Mission Day Three" is just shy of 9K long, second half on Sunday :)

Mando'a Translation:

di'kut = idiot

* * *

_Mission Day Three_; _Part 1_

The following day was much a repeat of the previous ones, with Ahsoka practicing her dancing, visibly determined to ensure perfection, and Rex working at modifying his blasters. He did his best to ignore her when he could, but found it was nearly impossible.

Ahsoka's athletic grace was a distraction that he couldn't avoid, and after nearly slipping the firing pins into a position that would have reversed the charge and caused the blaster to explode when attempting to fire, he gave up on his modifications. "Don't you have to sleep before tonight?"

His abrupt question startled her.

Ahsoka slipped from the extension she was in, unbalanced, and caught herself only by stretching her hands out to take her weight spinning as she did to mitigate the impact.

Rex was out his chair and half way to her when she hit the ground.

Their eyes locked as she bent her arms to absorb the impact, her chest nearly touching the floor. Her eyes flashed for a half second before a teasing smile touched her lips. "Why Rexster, anxious to be rid of me?"

"Considering our objectives and the importance of your performance tonight, I thought you might want to rest beforehand." It sounded so plausible and mundane as he said it.

"Me? I slept a solid eight; you didn't sleep a wink last night."

"You needed it." And he hadn't dared share the bed with her lest they end up in another clinch like the one they'd been in yesterday morning. He couldn't trust himself while he was sleeping to maintain the control necessary to stay away from her. It hadn't been the first time Ahsoka had featured in his dreams, simply the most vivid. Not to mention the first time he'd ever woken to find her in his arms. "I'm conditioned to stay awake for days."

"Rex," his name was an exasperation on her lips, "this isn't your typical battlefield with the adrenaline pumping and blaster bolts flying. We have a chance to rest up in between shows and get caught up on the sleep deficit we always run back on the _Resolute_; we should use it."

He watched as she straightened, regaining her feet. "Is that a suggestion or an order?"

"I shouldn't _have _to make it an order," she told him exasperatedly, planting her hands on her hips and, to his chagrin, thrusting her breasts out as a result, "We have an opportunity here; it'd be a shame to waste it."

His jaw worked for a moment before he spoke. "I'm fine, Ahsoka."

She regarded him for a second and then shrugged, resuming her previous position, extending one leg upwards in a vertical split in a slow move that made him swallow hard as his gut clenched. "Suit yourself. It just means you'll need to join me later," her smile was mischievous as she bent, taking her leg with her and careful to maintain her balance. "Personally, I like having you for a bed warmer; keeps my… toes warm."

The _feel _of her was still imprinted on his body and the thought alone made thinking straight impossible. Abruptly getting to his feet, he headed for the bedroom.

"Rex?"

He glanced back to see she'd somehow curved her body into a perfect ninety degree angle, her head tilted his way, a frown on her face. With a motion towards the other room, he tried to put her at ease. "I'm going to hit the shower."

"Oh." Her expression cleared as she moved her head back in line with her leg. "Okay then. See you in a few."

Wondering if she could feel what he was feeling, Rex decided not to dwell on it as he headed for the 'fresher. Stripping down once the door was closed, he flipped on the water, still marveling a little at the luxury, and stepped in. Flexing his toes on the slightly rough bottom of the stall, he closed his eyes as he tilted his head to the spray.

The running water drowned out Ahsoka's music, replacing it with a beat that was closer to his own heartbeat. Under other circumstances it would have been soothing, relaxing even, except he was too keyed up after too little sleep and too much stimulation. His shoulders were tense, his neck practically a solid line of tension that refused to abate.

Tilting his head back and forth, he rolled it around on his neck, trying to focus on the heat of the water, to let it seep into his pores and lend it the soothing relief his body craved. When the heat didn't work, he attempted to stretch with limited success.

No matter what he did, eyes open or closed, he could picture Ahsoka in the next room; feel the press of her body against his. No matter how sternly he berated himself, or tried to picture something - _anything _- else, the images refused to fade. His body remained as ready for the desired activity as any mission he'd ever been on.

With a groan, Rex caved to the inevitable.

He couldn't continue to function like this. He _needed _some kind of relief, some kind of release, and the only place of privacy was where he was in that moment. If he wanted any kind of relief he would have to take matters into his own hands.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the young woman in the next room and the immediate image that leapt to mind was one of an indistinct outline in the very place he stood now. He could easily picture her head tilted backwards under the spray, a small curve to her lips as the water sluiced over the sensitive skin if her montrals and lekku, trailing down over her neck, to her shoulders to cascade down across her breasts.

His forehead touched the wall of the shower as he swallowed back a moan, his hand already moving, seeking the relief that would help clear his head and-

_"Rex? Rex are you okay?"_

He froze, hand mid motion, aching and desperate for a respite he didn't seem capable of obtaining. Clearing his throat, he raised his voice. "I'm fine, Ahsoka."

_"Are you sure? I felt…"_

He didn't want to know _what_ she'd felt and he reluctantly moved to brace both hands on the wall, turning the water temperature dial as far as it would to _cold_. "It's nothing." He shivered as the icy water struck him, dousing his desires temporarily, despair striking him as he realized he was going to be denied this little relief.

_"Rex?"_

He closed his eyes against the concern in her voice. He couldn't stay where he was lest she not believe him and coming looking. _That _scenario, considering his current state of mind, didn't even bear thinking about. Straightening, he made his decision.

"Everything is _fine_, Ahsoka," he called shutting off the water. "Nothing to worry about."

_"If you say so,"_ she sounded less than convinced and he had to mentally steel himself against how _good_ it felt to have her worried about _him_.

"I do." he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hips before cracking open the door to her concerned expression. "Go practice, Ahsoka."

"You sure?"

"Certain; if you're not going to sleep before tonight, I will."

"That's a good idea, Rex; you really should have woken me last night, you know."

"I'm not the one putting my neck out," he retorted, managing to find her a ghost of a smile. He'd been too keyed up to wake her the night before and wouldn't have slept anyway. No use ruining it for them both. "Figuratively speaking of course."

She grinned. "And literally if the club is as seedy under all that polish as it looks. Your role is just as important as mine, you know. I need you in top form."

He almost groaned. Being in top form wasn't the issue; it was getting away from the adrenaline and lust that fueled it that would eventually drop him. Or so he figured. He'd never been on edge for these reasons before and could only speculate. "I'll sleep; go."

With one last look, she left, and Rex tilted his head to the door jamb with a faint shake of his head. He doubted he'd sleep, but now that he'd stated the intention, he was damn well going to try.

* * *

"Rex?"

He looked up from his seat on the edge of the bed to find Ahsoka standing in the doorway to the bedroom as he was pulling on his boots. He took her in at a glance and frowned, seeing she looked uncertain, her fingers drawing idly on the door frame in a show of nerves he rarely saw. Turning back to his task, he kept on eye on her. "Something the matter, Ahsoka?"

"I… er… in everything we looked at for hustlers, I don't… I…"

Rex finished tying the last laces, securing them in place before looking back her way. He hadn't slept well, tossing and turning for several hours in a state of semi-rest that he often survived upon when in battle conditions, but did nothing to refresh him in this situation. She was normally more articulate and he arched his eyebrows at her, exasperation in his tone. "Ahsoka."

She flushed, from the tip of her montrals down. "Do hustlers kiss their girls?"

The blurted question caught him off guard, as did the image that followed; Ahsoka, her head tilted to his, lips parted, with his hands on either side of her face as lowered his head and-

-shook it off, with difficulty, swallowing back a groan. As if this night wasn't going to be difficult enough watching her on stage and having males approach him to haggle for her bedroom services. He cleared his throat. "Nothing I've read says they do."

"But nothing says they don't - right?"

No; nothing had said they didn't. His heart leapt into his throat and he clenched his jaw, still struggling to banish the imagery and physical reaction her question had begotten. "Right." He cleared his throat again, not daring to get to his feet. "If we had more time for recon-"

"I don't think recon would help, Rex," she looked away, obviously abashed, her fingers curling about the door jamb. "I mean, we could just observe and mimic, but… but I've never…"

His reaction to her admission was such a grateful swelling of emotional _gratitude _and possessive conflict that Rex pushed to his feet and strode right for her, drawing her uncertain gaze back his way. Staring at her, looking down into her eyes as he stopped before her, his heart felt tight in his chest. Ahsoka visibly wanted to do her best, wanted to get this _right_, and his protective urges mixed with desires long suppressed. It was a difficult decision, but not for the reasons that it should have been.

Rex _wanted _to kiss her; he'd wanted it, fantasized about it, for many a night and felt horribly guilty the following mornings, only managing to act normal around her through sheer force of will.

As far as he knew, Ahsoka had never detected his thoughts and fantasies and if he'd needed proof, it would have been in the uncertainty shining in the depths of her eyes. He could read it clearly; she wasn't sure if he'd reject her or ridicule her. It was a recognizable emotion; one he'd felt often in her presence and which resonated within him with intimate familiarity. Reaching out one hand, he gently caught her chin as she made to look away, visibly embarrassed. "Neither have I, Ahsoka."

"No?"

Was that relief in her tone? He wasn't sure if he was broadcasting his emotional response into her words. His answer was soft, but firm. "No."

Her eyes widened as he did exactly what he'd been thinking about when she mentioned it, sliding his fingers along her jawline to cup her face. He heard her breath catch, her pupils dilating, as she seemed to be frozen; watching him, waiting, poised for flight if he moved the wrong way. The _longing_ in her gaze penetrated his defenses; she _wanted _him to kiss her.

Rex shamelessly took advantage, caving to the need to touch her further, to do something, _anything _about the desires simmering in his blood.

His free hand came up to caress her other cheek, tilting her chin as he'd seen in holos before tilting his head to hers and covering her mouth with his. Eyes closing, he savored her acceptance, putting everything he felt for her into that brushing of lips.

She tasted like spice.

Heady and subtle with a hint of a kick, he drank in her soft sigh like a drowning man, allowing himself this memory; taking what he'd always desired. _Giving _what he'd always wanted her to have.

The kiss was soft, hesitant and, as Ahsoka's lips parted under his, Rex drew back. His hands slid from her face to her shoulders as he watched her. Uncertainty gripped him; had he done it right?

Her eyes fluttered open to stare at him with something akin to shock. "I didn't…" her hand lifted to her lips as they tilted in a kind of wonderment he'd never seen before. "Wow."

Somehow, he chuckled, his own lips kicking into a responding grin despite the fire eating away at his gut. "With a response like that, you'd have given us away for sure."

"I would, wouldn't I?" she looked abashed. "I guess it's a good thing we practiced, wasn't it?"

Rex shook his head, taking a step away from her before he did something rash; like kiss her again. "Once is hardly practice."

"True," she exhaled and straightened her shoulders. "It's a good thing we got that first one out of the way then," she corrected gamely. Her expression softened as she touched her lips once more, something warm and soft and heartfelt in her gaze. "Thanks Rex."

He wasn't sure if she should have; he still wanted to do it again. "We should be going."

"Now?"

"Shortly. Collect what you need and be ready for several costume changes."

"Just what did you sign me up for, Rexster?"

"Stage shows," he told her flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't work the floor. Ever."

"Ever?" She frowned. "That's not going to work; I won't be able to get close to the target."

"Only with my permission," he amended; he wasn't about to tell her what he'd threatened the man with in the event that rule was broken. "I made it very clear to _The Catalyst's _owner that I call the shots when it comes to you and your clientele."

"So… no surprises."

"I think he was more excited just to have such an exotic female in his stage show; apparently Togruta are rare in this business," Rex smiled faintly. "Imagine that."

His tease had the desired effect and she laughed softly. "Imagine. Give me ten or fifteen minutes and I'll be ready, Rex."

"Take thirty," he suggested, stepping past her into the main living area and going to collect the dual blasters he'd been given for the mission. "I've a modification I want to make to these before we leave."

"Thirty it is."

* * *

_Thirty Minutes Later - The Catalyst Cantina_

Ahsoka looked around the back area of the club as Ishka, a violet Twi'lek dancer, gave her a brief tour.

There were a series of small dressing rooms, each with its own waiting parlor and long, half couch where they could rest between acts or, Ishka advised with a wink, service clients who paid for their charms. Inside the dressing rooms were enough space to hang several costumes, their accoutrements, and to store their shoes. Additionally each room had a vanity, small storage for the provided paints and perfumes and an overstuffed chair for relaxing. The doors to each dressing room also had locks, Ishka told her seriously, to give them a safe place to retreat should a client ask for more than they had paid.

Keeping that in mind, despite the fact she wouldn't be entertaining anyone, Ahsoka was left to her own devices to prepare as she had the dubious honor of being the first girl on stage. She was examining the wardrobe and putting the costumes she'd brought for wardrobe changes inside when a knock sounded on her door.

Turning her head, she found Rex standing on the threshold.

Gone were the military precision and polish in his stance as he leaned one shoulder against the door frame, one knee cocked, one booted foot crossed over the other, looking dangerous and sexy in his black outfit; a contrast to the blonde head of fuzz that had begun to grow, longer than she'd ever seen it, in the last few days. He looked every inch the Hustler inspecting his Dancer before a big show.

He also looked dangerously alluring with the glint in his eyes that matched the turmoil in his Force signature. Turmoil that had been there since she'd gotten the conflicting, spiking emotional response while he was in the shower; their kiss had only made it worse. She did her best to ignore it, still partly reeling from that kiss herself.

Managing not to grin widely but to instead shoot Rex a sly half smile, she waved one hand to the room and cocked her hip to place the other squarely on it with a coquettish tilt of her head. "Does it meet the standards my Hustler has set?"

"Not by half," he frowned, looking around. "I'll be having a word with the manager."

Ahsoka giggled. "Oh Rex."

He shot her a cautionary look, reminding her of the danger she was courting by teasing him and her smile quickly died. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she exhaled, her voice dropping to a near whisper, "think he'll be here tonight?"

Rex stepped into the small room and closed the door behind him. His voice was pitched low as he shook his head. "I doubt it. Tonight is mostly to establish your credibility. The file says he goes for the exotic and the high priced; apparently he doesn't like to share."

"So you'll charge an exorbitant amount for my services and word will spread about my prowess." He nodded once, shortly, and Ahsoka sighed. "Relax, Rex. Rumors might start after tonight, but both you and I know there's nothing true about them."

"I dislike destroying your reputation on purpose."

She grinned. "Think of it as building Kora's reputation," she suggested a touch cheekily, "the more talk there is, the better the chance of catching our prey."

Rex frowned, revealing that her attempt to put him at ease had failed. "Be careful, Ahsoka."

"Kora," she corrected, tilting her head and assuming the languid posture she'd used just before starting her lap dance on him that morning, her words practically a purr. Just as quickly, the transformation was gone, and her concern for _him _shone through. "I'm not the one seated with the armed trouble makers; you be careful too, okay?"

"I will. Your fan dance is first; good luck," with that, a smoldering look and a flash of a half-smile, Rex was gone.

Ahsoka exhaled as the door closed behind him and turned back to the wardrobe with a determined move. Fan dance; check. She would wow the lot of them and set this whole charade in motion with a stellar performance.

* * *

Leaving Ahsoka to the back room, Rex made his way to the front of _The Catalyst _and the seat the proprietor had 'reserved' for him off to the side. Seating himself, he was brought a drink by the Twi'lek serving girl; first one on the house, he was told.

Rex lifted his glass to the bartender and turned towards the stage, one eye on the cantina entrance. If their target arrived tonight, he had every intention of giving Ahsoka the go ahead so they could get this done and over with.

The sooner they were gone, the sooner they could go back to being Captain and Commander, with the boundaries of their relationship clearly defined. Boundaries that had become blurred and distorted, more so with every passing hour; he never should have kissed her.

His self-recriminations were enough to keep him occupied as he sipped his drink and kept an eye out for their target.

Sleaze after sleaze entered _The Catalyst_ until there was a half full house, the manager visibly waiting and counting and, once the house was two thirds full, the music was cued and the show began.

Rex's jaw tightened as Ahsoka stepped out onto the stage; twin fans in hand, her face veiled and montrals adorned with golden links and bells attached to the thinnest of chains that draped horizontally across her face. She tinkled musically with every tilt of her head, her smile a bare hint behind semi opaque material covering the lower half of her face. Whistles and cat calls sounded from the audience as she came towards center stage.

She took up her starting position, one fan held discreetly before her, bare sienna legs visible from mid-thigh down to her toes, each athletic inch poised to begin, lengthened by small golden heels that did nothing but add to her exotic look.

He couldn't look away, though he knew he should, as she began to sway with the music. One of their mission parameters had been singing, but GAR Intelligence obviously hadn't heard Ahsoka try and sing before suggesting it. It had been considered, and dismissed, quickly.

Whispers started almost immediately, males inquiring as to her time and Rex caught the speculation about her as she moved fluidly into the routine. It stung, knowing it was necessary, the cruder comments making his fists clench and inspiring mental images he didn't need.

Comments about her thighs around one's hips, her ass and beauty; about her lips around-

It was all he could do not to stand and set them all straight. _The mission, _he admonished himself silently. _This is all for the mission. Ahsoka's cover might be essential but if I _ever _meet those _di'kut's _at Intelligence, they'll be speaking with the business end of my blaster! She deserves better than this; than to be _used _like this._

Rex forced a hard smile to his lips, knowing his gaze probably gleamed with hunger, but was unable to help himself.

"If you're still looking at her like that after owning her for the last year," a voice his shoulder rasped, "I'm mighty interested in discovering why. What do you charge for her?"

Rex's fingers tightened on the glass as he dragged his gaze from Ahsoka to look at the Deveronian who'd addressed him. The club manager must have directed the sleaze towards him. Relief and annoyance shot through him as he regarded the other male; not their target. "More than you can afford," he responded, evenly.

"A price, my friend," the creature insisted, "I am a man of many means and may surprise you."

"Ten thousand." Rex turned his attention back to the stage, knowing no one wanted to pay that much for her; he would have, but for other reasons. He would have paid millions to make Ahsoka his even for a night - if he'd had any credits.

"A little steep for a night, but I'm willing to pay it."

"Nightly?" Rex scoffed. "That's hourly, friend."

"No whore is worth ten thousand hourly!"

Somehow, Rex managed not to deck the creature. Ahsoka was no whore, no matter that she was playing the part and it got his back up to hear scum like this talk that way about her. "You're wasting my time," he drawled, "come back when you grow a pair."

"You can't charge anything for her when you're dead!"

The sound of durasteel clearing leather had barely reached him before Rex's pistol was out and against the Deveronian's chin. "Try it," he urged; his tone was anticipatory. He could use a good fight; anything to bleed off the sexual tension that was eating at his gut and to channel it elsewhere. "Go ahead."

Intent flashed in the other male's eyes and the sound of Rex's blaster going off echoed through the cantina.

Sound died as all eyes turned to him, the dead Deveronian sliding to the ground at his feet with a _thump_.

Looking around, his gaze fell on Ahsoka's and then to the musicians. "You're not being paid to stand there, girl," he growled before his gaze snapped to the musicians, "you - play!"

There was a pause as if everyone waited to see what would happen. Rex spun his blaster deliberately, not holstering the weapon but placing it on the table before picking up his drink as if nothing had happened.

And things returned to normal.

The music resumed and Ahsoka returned to her dance. The body was removed and the credits on the corpse placed on the table before his drink was replenished. Rex tossed back the last of the alcohol, enjoying the burn from throat to stomach, wishing the _di'kut's _challenge had been more of an issue. He was still solid as a rock, his pants painfully tight, the brief satisfaction of eliminating the Deveronian and protecting Ahsoka fading away as his gaze was drawn back to the stage.

No one else approaches him for the duration on her dance, as if informed by some unspoken code that he wanted to watch his girl. His girl; the connotation was different in his mind than in theirs.

To him, she _was_ his girl. His to protect. To defend; to support through this _fekking _mission and assist in getting out of intact once they had what they'd come for.

To them, she was his _working _girl. A woman who could be had for a few minutes to a few hours to a whole night for just the right price.

It made him want to shoot someone.

Ahsoka's routine was just under five minutes long. Five minutes of interminable hell where he could watch her to his heart's content - and burn.

With rage.

At the council for forcing her into this part; for making her grow up far faster than any teenager should. At the dictates of society that made this role the only viable one for gaining quick access to their target's person and the information they so desperately needed. At the creatures around him who believed they were good enough to touch the hem of her skimpy show costume, let alone more.

With jealousy.

At the patrons and the men calling to her and fantasizing about what was his in his dreams and never could be otherwise.

With lust.

He'd never wanted anyone more, and not just because he could see the charms her role forced her to portray. He knew the beauty of her heart, the selflessness of her soul; he knew her better than anyone... And he lusted to have her, hold her, be _with _her, just once.

The show was over before the next male approached him to inquire about hiring Ahsoka's company, wanting to take advantage of her charms for the evening.

Unlike the Deveronian, once he heard the cost, he bowed away graciously. Two more followed with the same result before Ahsoka's next act and a second followed the Deveronian to the gutter outside, adding more credits to Rex's haul on top of what Ahsoka was earning.

Slouching in the chair was as unnatural as it was necessary; his pants were three sizes too small, his temper frayed, and he seriously considered calling the mission off right then and there. How could he be expected to sit and watch her, to deal with these scum, night after night, and maintain his sanity?

The answer was simple; grin and bear it.

Ahsoka was playing as distasteful a role as he and doing so with poise; could he do any less? The answer, of course, was no.

So Rex bore it.

Her dancing - three different routines, each more risqué than the last. The customers - their perverted requests and demands. The heat that simmered below his skin, churning low in his belly, only his silent mantra that they were there for the mission holding it in check.

There for the mission; it was going to be a _long_ mission.

_**TBC**_


	6. Mission: Day Three: Part 2

_Mission Day Three - Part Two_

Ahsoka came off the stage at the end of her last dance with a breathless gasp. The heat of Rex's look and possessively aggressive Force signature practically overpowered her senses to the point where she'd had to block everyone out. Her heart racing from the magnitude of his intensity, she struggled to breathe for a moment before finding her center and taking a deep breath.

She knew Rex wanted her, but she'd never-

"Well, aren't you the new favorite," Zidel commented cattily, another of the working girls, a Zeltron with a nasty streak who'd been making snide comments to her through the show, "I give it a week and you'll have lost your novelty."

"Says the displaced favorite," Ahsoka returned shortly. She didn't like Zidel for all she'd met her bare hours before. "You must have lost _your _novelty."

"Mine's endless," Zidel snapped. "By the end of the week, I'll be back on top and you, you Togrutan slut, will be nothing but a memory."

If this mission took more than a week, Ahsoka was going to have some serious issues; she wouldn't last a week in close quarters with Rex and his sinfully, faithfully tight leather pants. "You can hope."

Zidel shot her a glare and then, pasting a smile on her face, sauntered out onto the stage to the appreciation of the patrons.

"Pay her no attention, Kora," Ishka's distinctive lilt had Ahsoka turning her head before she remembered that Kora was supposed to be _her_. "She's always jealous when a new girl gets as much applause as she does."

"I can understand why," Ahsoka told the other girl with a smile. "If Rex didn't keep moving us around to so many new and different places, I'd be protective of my space too."

"Rex?"

"My hustler."

"He lets you call him by name?"

Were they not supposed to? Ahsoka managed to shrug as she looked back towards the stage where Zidel was still performing, shooting the girl a sly look, suddenly inspired. "He says I should know whose name to call in the throes of passion."

Ishka laughed, thankfully. "Just be careful you don't call _his _name while you're with your customers tonight."

Ahsoka sent her an inquiring look. "You know something I don't?"

"Well, your Rex has been getting a steady stream of men; looks like you'll be busy on your back once the dancing's over."

_Busy on your back._

It was a phrase she'd heard at the start of the night and, based on the anticipatory statement from some of the girls, Ahsoka suspected it was a good thing to be that kind of busy. Still… she smiled and cocked her head. "We'll see; Rex is very particular with whom I spend my… valuable time."

"Particular, really? " Ishka stared at her and then began to giggle. "A hustler who's particular?"

"What can I say?" Ahsoka turned to head back to her dressing room with an insouciant shrug she didn't feel, her stomach churning from the close call. "I'm a lucky gal."

"I guess we'll see how particular," Ishka called after her. "There were over two dozen customers who approached him!"

Ahsoka managed to hold it together until she hit her room, closing the door and leaning against it only to wrap her arms around her middle as her legs gave out. Tilting her forehead to her knees, she breathed in deeply, suddenly understanding the blazing _possessive _undertones of Rex's Force signature.

_Two dozen._ _Rex… Rex I'm sorry!_

If only she'd not danced so well, maybe they'd have left him alone?

A knock at her back drew her head up.

_"Kora?"_

It was a male voice; one of the bouncers?

"Yes?"

_"They're calling for an encore; they want you on the pole."_

Pole dancing; the one she hadn't tried yet. Taking a deep breath and realizing her ordeal and Rex's wasn't over yet, but just beginning - who knew how many more nights of this they'd have to go through before their contact came looking - she pushed determinedly to her feet. "I'll be out in a minute."

_"Encore's in ten."_

Ten minutes to brace herself for the heat of Rex's gaze; ten minutes to brace herself for the impact of so many untrained emotions and minds focused on her, _fantasizing _about her. Ten minutes to brace herself for a dance she'd never tried, and had only seen in video.

She turned to her wardrobe and flung the doors wide. It was a good thing she'd brought just the right outfit.

* * *

Rex wasn't expecting the cloak swathed, but heavily adorned, Ahsoka who stepped onto the stage despite the fact he'd been raking in the credits for her dances since the beginning of the night. His analytical mind had already deduced he was being cut in for under what they'd agreed upon and he and the owner of _The Catalyst _were going to have a little chat once-

Ahsoka dropped the cape that had covered her scantily clad form as she stepped up to the pole in the center of the dance floor, well within reach of the customers. Credit chits and presents were already held high in hands as the men rose to their feet the moment she wrapped her hand about the post.

He felt that touch all the way clear to his toes as her gaze locked with his. Her trepidation would only have been obvious to one who knew her and he gave her the barest of nods, more a twitch of his head, to offer his support. _You can do this_, he thought towards her, hoping that somehow she'd hear it.

The song started, taking her pose for her starting position, and the show began.

Rex's mouth went dry as Ahsoka strutted around the pole, teasing the men closest to the stage and getting a credit chit in her top for her trouble as she bent too close. She hid her shock well at being fondled, throwing herself into a back handspring to break the hold and nearly kicking the customer in the face.

A roar went up from the crowd as she ended on the pole, wrapping her strong thighs about it, and Rex was lost, absorbed and transfixed as she worked the pole up and down, fast and then slow, all to the cheering of the men around her which had drowned out the music.

He was on his feet seconds later and headed in her direction when one of the patrons was suddenly on stage with her, reaching for her, his grubby paws wrapping around one sienna ankle and hauling her off the pole with a jerk and dragging her down and off the stage.

Ahsoka cried out, and Rex was there a heartbeat later, blasters all but forgotten as he hauled the furry creature away from her, landing a solid punch that sent it sprawling into an ornery crowd of lustful males. Claw marks had left its fur matted with blood and Rex suspected he saw a bite wound as it fell away. "Hands off," he snapped coldly.

"Says who?"

"Her hustler," Rex proclaimed, standing over her with a foreboding expression as the men took him in. There was no mistaking him after the deal with the Deveronian; but there would always be doubters. "This one's for looking only until you pay the fee."

"Hand over the girl and we'll let you go, hustler," threatened one to the side.

Rex didn't blink; he drew and fired all in one motion, holstering the blaster in the same move. An amalgamated mess of protective, dominant and concerned emotions all swirling together, he didn't know exactly what he felt as he glared at the group.

"You can't take all of us!"

"Yeah; give us the whore!"

"Speak for yourself," someone at the back jostled and a small fight broke out, "I want her for myself!"

It was all Rex could do to not shoot more of them as the crowd began to disintegrate into a mob, cries of "whore" and "slut" and various other demands zinging back and forth. Several of the males fell to fighting, but the crowd immediately around him remained focused on the teenager at his feet.

"The little horn head is mine!"

"Ever handle a Togrutan, little sucker man?" Rex's words were deliberately derogatory towards the Rodian; he'd been listening well. He waved at the furry creature who'd attacked her initially. "Did you see what she did to that one?"

"So what makes you think she'll play nice for you?"

Rex didn't offer a response, simply reached down, hooked one hand behind Ahsoka's neck, under her lekku, and pulled her to her feet. Their eyes locked. She came willingly, offering no resistance as he spun her and bent her forward over his other arm, barring her neck in a single move. Acting on instinct alone, he placed his lips on the side of her neck where it was the most vulnerable under her _lek _and, driven by his need to show dominance, bit her.

She began to quake even as she remained docile in his grasp, her heart suddenly racing against the hard line of his forearm, her whole body tensing. A soft moan, like she was trying to strangle it, caught his attention, also driving home the fact that sound had practically died once again in the cantina.

Lifting his head, he left Ahsoka as she was; neck barred to him, submissively over his forearm. "She's mine." His voice was hard, uncompromising; later he would wonder where the impulse had come. "You want a chance at touching her, you see me first."

Bouncers arrived then, breaking things up, and Rex lifted his arm, pulling Ahsoka completely back to her feet with her back flush against his front. "We're leaving," he told her gruffly.

She didn't protest and Rex tucked her under his arm and led her backstage to change, escorting her to the change room and then in, closing the door behind them. He sat her in the chair, searching her face, his need to protect her receding into concern.

Ahsoka looked shell shocked, her eyes wide, pupils dilated, her breathing still erratic and Rex wasn't sure if she could see him. Not daring to use her real name, he grasped both hands in hers. "Look at me."

She didn't respond, her chest still heaving, her body almost humming and he frowned, feeling that her normally cool skin seemed to be slightly fevered. Her eyes were still glazed. Making a snap decision, Rex shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped her in it before scooping her up in his arms. With one final glance down into her face, he made to take her away.

* * *

Ahsoka was barely aware of her change in circumstances.

She'd been on stage one moment and fending off an attack the next, tasting blood, feeling it on her claws, only to be in Rex's arms moments later. In Rex's arms, pressed against his side with his lips on the sensitive curve of her neck under her _lek_.

The pleasurable sensation of having Rex's lips on her neck had thrown her for a loop, but when he'd _bit _her…

A powerful surge of heat and desire had rocked her system and left her reeling, even now having yet to fade. It had struck low in her belly, exploding through her body in wave after wave of intense, nearly crippling pleasure.

_What happened to me?_

In Rex's arms, surrounded by his scent, she was vaguely aware of him speaking harshly with someone before he carried her away. Trepidation crept in as the _feel _of his grasp, one around her back and side, the other under her knees, penetrated the fog which had closed in about her mind. She shivered in his grasp and his arms tightened. His grip was reassuring instead of constricting yet threatening at the same time.

Instincts she'd never known she had were screaming at her, urging her to something she didn't understand, focused on _Rex _in a way she'd never been before. She could hear his heartbeat, not just under her cheek, but the steady, if slightly fast, pulse seemed to wind its way into her blood stream. She could smell him, not just because she was wearing his coat.

Anger.

Fear.

Frustration.

Yearning.

All of these she could practically _taste_, hypersensitive to the changes within him, the shifts and eddies of his emotions and desires all centered upon her. He'd unintentionally started something when he'd bitten her, when she'd _let _him bite her, setting off a chain reaction that was completely and wholly unexpected.

She didn't understand what it was, but all she knew was that her instincts were urging her to finish it. To reach up, to bite _him _as he'd bitten her; to mark him… she curled into the coat with a whimper, closing her eyes as she fought against the need, allowing herself the comfort of his chest to rest her cheek upon and nothing more.

Not understanding what had happened or what continued to happen within her, she mentally withdrew and sought the Force, seeking answers. In its vastness and within her own instincts; answers that would be slow in coming as she hadn't the capacity to process what she was feeling or the context in which they should be applied.

* * *

Rex carried Ahsoka all the way back to their suite, concern for her having overridden every other desire. His grip tightened as he climbed the stairs, opened the door, and stepped inside, hitting the automatic lock with his elbow. She was shivering now, shaking in his grasp in a way that he somehow knew was different than the quaking that had rocked her back at the cantina.

"Ahsoka?"

She let out the saddest, confused little mewing sound he'd ever heard and it squeezed his heart painfully, his lips pressing to the curve of her nearest montral as he tried to convey his support and regret.

Striding to the nearest chair, he sat, keeping her on his lap, adjusting his grip so that he could look fully into her face. She looked confused, scared - and Ahsoka was _never _scared. Not visibly so, anyway. He'd done this; she'd been fine until he'd bit her. One hand slid up her back, to the nape of her neck, and he winced, his blood running cold upon feeling the raised skin. He'd marked her; injured her! Even if it had been a necessary show of ownership, he should never have been so violent!

"Ahsoka - I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… Ahsoka? Can-"

Her head turned toward him on the third appellation of her name, the dazed look fading a little. "Rex?"

His hand dropped from her neck as he pulled her close to his chest, leaning back, enfolding her in a hug he was careful to keep gentle.

"Rex, what-"

He released his embrace reluctantly, shifting her to the side so she could sit, as he slid off the chair to take a knee before her. Still wrapped in the softness of his coat, she looked forlorn and lost, her still partially clouded gaze a concern. He kept his tone even; reassuring. "We're back at our suite."

She looked around, as if seeing it for the first time and her posture eased. "Oh. I thought… shouldn't we still be at _The Catalyst_?"

"Not after that mob pulled you off stage," he was careful not to let the rage that act had ignited bleed into his voice or his touch as he took her hands. "Do you remember what happened?"

It was a moment before she spoke, her brow furrowing as if she was trying to recall. "I remember being pulled off stage," she confirmed slowly, "tasting blood and feeling flesh tear," she flexed her fingers within his grasp, intertwining them with his, "and then you pulling that… whatever it was off me."

Rex waited for her to continue, but she didn't, staring at where his hands gripped hers, and he ducked his head, trying to see her face. "Anything else, Ahsoka?"

"I… remember you… biting me."

He couldn't see her expression but the flush that swept through her montrals was telling. "Yes; I did. I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I didn't intend to hurt you. I didn't realize it would do… _this _to you."

"I'm okay," she shook her head as if trying to shake off the effects but still wouldn't meet his gaze or look at him, "it was just… unexpected after being attacked."

She wasn't telling him something. Rex wasn't sure how he knew, but something about her posture was screaming at him that there was more to this that just the unexpected. He'd seen her adapt readily to the unexpected in all kinds of situations that had been as equally as dangerous.

Admittedly he'd never _bit _her in any of those...

She shivered, as if sensing the line of his thoughts, attempting to free her hands, but Rex tightened his grip. "Ahsoka - what is it you're not telling me?"

"Nothing," shaking her head, she practically choked on the word, reinforcing his belief she wasn't telling him the whole truth. "I just... want to go to sleep, Rex. Can I just... go to bed?"

He let her go and she fled, retreating to the bedroom and closing the door, still wrapped in his coat. Rex frowned as the door closed between them; normally she left it open. Whatever was bothering her had happened after he'd bit her - or maybe during?

Guilty as he felt for making her, he only felt worse - _shamed _- as he realized that, given the chance, he'd have done it again. For all his guilt and the way his actions and their consequences warred for satisfaction and dismay within him, he'd accomplished the mission he'd set himself. His point at the cantina had been made; his ownership of her had been established. Which had been the whole point of the exercise.

What he didn't understand was her reaction.

Ahsoka had _let_ him, _trusted _him to handle her bodily. In his mind's eye, he could clearly see her eyes, the only part of her face he'd been focused upon as his hand had curled around her neck, and no other part of her, using the hold to draw her to her feet and then move her. He'd treated her in a way that he'd heard other hustlers treat their girls; in a way that wouldn't blow their cover.

Cantinas were, apparently, mines of information, almost none of it good, about women and how to use or abuse them. To say he'd been appalled with what he'd heard would be putting it mildly, but Ahsoka's warning had been well taken. None had tried to joke with him, but he'd been bombarded with coarse suggestions, descriptions and desires as they were shouted at the dancers, Ahsoka included.

It bothered him, but he bore it because she did.

Having her pulled off the stage and knowing that the furry creature had wanted to bend her over a table, flip up her skirt and pound her, as it had said, he couldn't _not_ get involved. The mental image had been disturbing and alarming as he'd envisioned the damaged the furry thing could have done to her tender flesh. Ahsoka was _his _to protect and he'd done so. Perhaps he could have chosen another way to make his point, but a show of dominance had settled the crowd and given them an out.

Had he been wrong?

Rubbing one hand across across his face, Rex looked around and his gaze caught on the holonet terminal that was across the room. It had only been used the once when they'd first arrived and, as he looked at it, an idea formed in his mind. Could... it be a Togrutan thing? Her monstrals and lekku had flushed along with the rest of her, indicating an embarrassment and she hadn't been able to look him in the eye.

Had her reaction been racial? He'd read up a little on Togrutans in general when she'd become a part of Torrent Company, or rather, General Skywalker's apprentice. Admittedly, he'd not read much beyond general tendencies, preferring to get to know her himself.

Until now, it hadn't been necessary to do anything more; Ahsoka had always been more than forthcoming about her heritage and race, sharing traits and dismissing misconceptions. To say she was atypical of her race was an understatement, but her physiological reactions would be the same, no matter how else she differed.

Could he perhaps find _something _on the holonet that would help him explain her behavior? Would she appreciate it if he did? He wasn't sure, but he knew he had to do something. Having her shut down on him, he needed to know why and if this would occur again. If there was the possibility, he couldn't risk biting her again. And if he did have to bite her as part of their cover once more, he resolved to be more gentle; she wouldn't suffer his soldier's brutality.

Pushing to his feet, he headed for the terminal and sat before it, staring at the blank screen for a moment before placing his hands on the activation pad. It came to life almost instantly and he wasted no time in spelling out his first search inquiry.

_Torgutan biting._

He didn't know what else to call it and, as a result, what he got as he sat there and went through links after link, was far more than he bargained for. Certain words turned up again and again, resulting in further searches and, as the moons of Ord Mantell set and the sun began to rise, Rex was still at the holo terminal. Link after link, holo after holo, he told himself he should stop, a voice in the back of his head saying that Ahsoka wouldn't appreciate his prying. That he'd long since discovered what he'd hoped to find; what he'd been afraid to find.

_Mating ritual; showing favor._

_Submission; sexual trigger._

_Docility; sexual dominance._

The words ran around and around in his mind, chasing one another even as he repeatedly told himself he needed to stop, he found he couldn't.

He didn't halt his search until he heard Ahsoka stirring in the next room, the shower starting. Then, and only then, did he shut down the terminal, sitting back with an almost blank expression, the information tumbling over and around inside his head in a jumble.

A jumble of information that really had no point of context.

All he knew for sure was that Ahsoka had submitted to him completely in the club, utterly allowing him to move and shift her as he wished. She'd _trusted _him as her friend to do what was necessary to get her out of the situation.

Not that she couldn't have extricated herself, he knew rationally, but her role required she have a protector; him. She'd simply allowed him to play that part, right? No matter what the holonet said, no matter that she'd exhibited the signs mentioned in the articles he'd read, it had to have been a part of their act.

But... that didn't explain her behavior upon their return to the suite. Shouldn't she have recovered more quickly if it was an act? Logic told him yes until he remembered the raised imprint of his teeth on her neck and the guilt struck him hard. He'd bitten her, _marked _her - was she still marred this morning? For all the injuries she'd taken in the past, seeing the mark of his physical violence upon her skin had shaken him- what had it done to her?

Ahsoka had brushed off his apology the night before, but had that been her shock talking? He didn't know. There was too much he didn't know for all the information he'd assimilated through the night, too many variables to form any kind of logical conclusion.

He'd simply have to wait and see how she was when she came out of the bedroom and hope she could forgive him.


	7. Mission: Day Four: Part 1

_**Author's Note: **Mission Day Four is about 12K long [and is broken down into three parts] and has some of my personal favorite moments; you'll probably notice them when you read em - enjoy!  
_

* * *

_Mission Day Four - Part One  
_

Toweling dry as she stepped from the shower, Ahsoka felt a twinge in her neck as she tilted her head to see what she was doing to dry her legs, but forced herself to ignore it. She waited until she was dry and dressed before taking a deep breath, wiping the steam off the mirror, and stared at her reflection.

Almost afraid of what she would find, Ahsoka tilted her head to the side as she lifted her _lek _off her neck, gently touching the imprint which remained on her skin from where Rex had bitten her. The tips of her fingers ghosted over the bumps, barely there after a night's rest, but a blatantly tender reminder of what had occurred the night before.

It wasn't the only injury she'd incurred.

Paw print bruises around one ankle where the furry creature had grabbed her; an impact ache on one hip, and a sore arm where she'd struck the ground had also made themselves known, but it was the mark on her neck which held her attention.

There was a lesson in that disastrous sequence at the cantina and it wasn't in Rex's treatment of her. Given the chance, she wouldn't have done anything differently with Rex, but then, she felt that she'd somehow put him in the position, making him _have _to do it. If she'd been quicker on stage, she'd never have been pulled from it.

She couldn't see the mark with where it was on her neck and, hopefully, Rex wouldn't either.

Looking at her reflection, she let her _lek_ go, tilting her head this way and that to familiarize herself with how it felt and where it rubbed against the bite mark. Meeting her own gaze, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for facing Rex again.

This was Rex.

Rex. Her friend and companion; team mate and protector. He wouldn't judge, he'd just... well she didn't know what he'd do, to be honest; they'd never _been_ in this situation before. She only hoped he'd accept her apology for dragging them both through the events at _The Catalyst _and put it behind them to be able to accomplish their mission's goals.

That thought in mind, she opened the door determinedly and strode straight for the bedroom door, hesitating only a moments before opening it, too. Rex wasn't where she'd left him the night before, but a quick glance showed him to be seated at the holonet terminal.

Her gut clenched as she considered the implications of that location, but didn't follow through with the thought. She needed to talk to him and adding further issues to the situation weren't going to help. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth.

"Rex-"

"Ahsoka-"

They spoke at the same time as Rex abruptly turned to look at her, his expression more closed than she'd seen it for a long time, and her heart sank. He looked about to continue and she held up her hands, feeling her throat threatening to close. "Don't," she told him with a shake of her head. "Just don't say anything, until I say something first, all right?"

He stood, standing in his regulation at ease posture which should have looked ridiculous but only served to remind her of just who and what he was. A man; a soldier; a clone. He'd been born and bred for combat, not this kind of intrigue and here they were expecting him to meet the challenge.

Not that he couldn't, but the unfairness of it suddenly seemed disproportionate.

He waited in silence, watching her, and Ahsoka saw the tendon in his neck flex. It almost cost her the nerve she'd gathered, but a stern mental reminder that this was her fault and she needed to fix it had her standing her ground. "I owe you an apology, Rex."

"I- what?"

His confused interjection caught her off guard. "I owe you an apology; for last night." Ignoring his incredulous look, she forged ahead. "I was too close to the edge of the stage, if I hadn't been trying to show off, that creature wouldn't have caught me and pulled me down. You should never have had to been put in the position to need to rescue me like that; I'm sorry."

He was quiet for a moment, continuing to stare at her, almost as if he'd never seen her before and then, much to her surprise, he chuckled. A soft sound at first, it cut off just as it gained true voice and Rex shook his head, but didn't say anything.

"What?"

"Ahsoka, _I_ was going to offer _you _an apology."

"For what?"

He lifted one hand and rubbed the back of his neck, watching her intently, and the reference wasn't lost on her.

She flushed. "Oh; that." Averting her gaze she struggled to find the words to explain a reaction she didn't fully understand. "If I'd been more careful, you wouldn't have had to, Rex. I'm okay, I just-"

"Ahsoka; look at me."

Glancing at him, she found she couldn't hold the contact. "I don't know what happened to me, okay? I'm fine this morning though."

"There's a reason you reacted like you did last night when I bit you," Rex's words were audibly reluctant, like he was saying something he didn't want to, "if I'd known last night what I know now, I would never have-"

"What do you mean what you know now?" Unconsciously, her gaze flew back to his, reading the nuances of his posture. "What-" she glanced to the terminal where she'd spied him upon entering the room and the _why _of it fell into place. "You... Rex, tell me you didn't."

"I was concerned about you."

"So you went on the holo net?!"

"What else was I supposed to do?" he demanded. "You'd already locked yourself in the bedroom and wouldn't talk to me."

"I was _scared_, Rex; I've never had that happen to me before!"

"And I wasn't? With all we've been through, you've _never _shut down like that and we've been through a hell of a lot, Ahsoka."

"That didn't give you the right to look it up!"

"Someone had to."

"You should have asked me first."

"You were already gone and I wasn't going to sleep after that." He took a step towards her, his eyes blazing with an emotion she didn't completely comprehend. "I was," he paused, as if searching for the right word, "I was _worried _about you."

The fist in her chest loosened with the heartfelt admission but didn't dampen the hurt his actions had unleashed. She felt... betrayed was too strong a word, for it would imply she'd lost trust in him, but certainly as if he'd not respected her privacy. On some level it irked her to know that Rex knew more about her physical reactions than she did. "How would you feel, Rex, if I went on the holonet and looked up your physiology?"

He smiled faintly, a hint of a tease in his voice. "Flattered you cared enough to know?"

"Hurt, Rex. You'd feel hurt," her correction was as raw as she felt in that moment. "I can't believe you would... that you..."

"I was trying to help, Ahsoka."

His voice was soft, contrite, and stopped her in her tracks. Ahsoka snapped her lips closed, suddenly feeling awful for not appreciating the gesture for what it had been. Staring at him for a moment, her throat tightened, blocking her ability to speak and her eyes suddenly burned.

Everything hit her at once; from the stress of learning that Anakin had crashed his fighter and wouldn't be with her on this mission. To learning what was expected of her and Rex. To the tension between them and the disastrous nightmare her first round at _The Catalyst _had been. Rounding it off, as if that weren't enough, was her strange reaction to having Rex bite her; a reaction she felt even now as she stared at him.

Taking the two steps to close the distance between them, Ahsoka practically threw herself against Rex's chest. Her arms wrapped tightly about his waist as the floodgates broke and she buried her face against him, sobbing brokenly into his shirt.

* * *

The lightning shift from hurt, irate Ahsoka to sobbing Ahsoka caught Rex completely off guard as she launched herself at him. He had the presence of mind to take a half step back and brace himself for violence, only to find himself suddenly wrapped in a death grip of a hug.

One moment she'd been glaring at him; accusing him of delving into the documented evidence of her species traits like they were some kind of delicate, super secret intelligence only those of the race were privy to. And now she was clinging to him like her life depended on it.

Rex did the only thing he could think of; he folded his arms around her shoulders and held her as tightly as she was holding him.

Ahsoka shook in his embrace, quaking and sobbing as if she were broken, and he adjusted his hold. Wishing there'd been some kind of training for how to deal with this situation, he firmly ran one hand down her back in what he hoped was a comforting motion. Having nothing to fall back on, he did what he _felt _was appropriate.

He ducked his head to hers, pressing his lips to her brow and closing his eyes as he let her lean on him, willing her to draw strength from him; to collect herself when she was ready. He murmured words against her skin without thinking; words he'd never recall later but ones that seemed to give her comfort.

Rex didn't know how long they stood there before Ahsoka's crying jag eased, dwindling into hiccups and the odd sniffle, and he changed the long stroke of her spine to a circular motion. Easing his hold on her only as he felt hers give a little, he didn't let her out of the circle of his arms as he looked down at her, concerned.

Her forehead tilted against his collarbone, her breathing slowly returning to normal and marred only with the odd gasp or hiccup.

"Ahsoka?"

"I'm okay," her words were muffled and choked, far from sounding 'okay'. "I'm sorry, Rex," she laughed, that, too, sounding watery. "I didn't mean to cry a lake on you."

"I won't dissolve," he assured her, still at a loss, "and you know I like to swim."

She giggled, finally lifting her head and turning away.

The glimpse he caught made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy, her face blotched with dark orange spots, the white markings on her face brighter than normal, though because of the crying jag or something else he wasn't sure. Maybe he should have researched more of her physiology than just the biting thing.

"I'll be right back," she told him, heading for the bedroom.

He let her go, not sure what else he could do, following her. She disappeared into the 'fresher and he heard water turn on. A couple of minutes later, she emerged looking more like herself. Her face was still slightly swollen, but her eyes were once again clear and direct, if slightly embarrassed.

She looked startled to see him waiting for her in the doorway to the bedroom. "Sorry about that, Rex," she flushed a deeper sienna hue; the deepening blue to dark blue on her lekku and montrals was embarrassment and black, he now knew should it happened, was arousal. "I... shouldn't have gotten angry with you."

"We knew going into this assignment it wasn't going to be easy," he reminded her, "this isn't exactly what you were trained for."

"You either," she countered, advancing on him. "I'm still a little stung you researched my biology," a lightning quick smile assured him she wasn't angry, "find anything interesting?"

_That _was an understatement. "A thing or two," next he would have to research his own and see if there was anything he could do to temper his attraction to her. "Care to see?"

The relief in her eyes as she nodded lifted his spirits. He stepped back and motioned her to the holonet console.

* * *

Rex folded his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, trying to sleep but unable to get his mind to shut down as he normally did. The pleasurable freedom of being under the covers and _out _of the leather pants for a few hours of shut eye was lost to his concern for the young woman in the next room.

Caught somewhere between teenager and woman, Ahsoka had been asked to shoulder a burden that should never have come to her.

The circumstances of their mission had been very straightforward when General Kenobi had laid them out on the _Resolute_. Rex was finding that having them laid out bare bones for a mission like this was very much like dealing with ARC troopers. They only told you what they thought you needed to know for an operation, not the detail that could make a difference.

A good example was the Council's abuse of trust when it came to Ahsoka. General Kenobi had obviously known what they were asking of the teen, but he'd asked anyway. Her cooperation hadn't been an option; she'd been ordered on this mission. Like a good soldier, she'd risen to the challenge, researched her role and set about executing her task to the best of her ability.

Her breakdown several minutes ago notwithstanding, he didn't doubt Ahsoka's ability to perform her task. He'd left her to explore the holonet information he'd saved for her, suspecting that she would have questions based on her reaction the night before. Knowing he'd found the information enlightening, but difficult to read in some respects, he'd retired to bed to try for a few hours of shut eye before they had to return to _The Catalyst_.

Considering everything that had occurred in the last few days, Rex's inclusion in the mission now left him conflicted.

He was too close to the situation.

He _desired _Ahsoka in ways that he'd never really understood before having to spend time with the fringes of this seedy town's respectable. And that was being nice. He'd heard more sexual acts and positions described in lewder terms than he'd known existed in such a short period of time that he felt... dirty. Sullied. Unclean.

To hear _Ahsoka _described within those terms was enough to test his patience, to drive him to the razor's edge of control. He'd never been more disgusted in his life.

Yet, despite the fact it repulsed him to have other speak of her in such a fashion, to his shame, it excited him too. It excited him to think of having her with _him _in the ways they described, willing and wonton, _his _for the taking.

He groaned softly as the natural physical reaction to those thoughts manifested itself and he rolled to his side, bending one knee for balance.

Ahsoka was a sexy young woman, more than a teenager but not yet an adult, and was being forced to explore a sexually charged aspect of her nature to ensure her performance was flawless. Having her practice on him was pure hell, watching her on stage had been levels beyond the pleasurable torture of her writing on his lap. Unable to touch in either case, knowing he was the only member of her audience meant safety for her and agony for him. With an audience, hazards like the one from the previous night became a marked danger and rendered him jealously angry with her. He wanted her for himself… and knew she wasn't for him.

Rex wondered how anyone could have remained unaffected in his position.

He was floundering, losing sight of the mission with each dance Ahsoka practiced and performed and his instincts already screaming at him to prevent her from going on stage again. After what had happened the night before, everything within him wanted to scrub the mission and retreat - but they'd come too far to go back now.

Ahsoka's determination to see this through to the necessary conclusion no matter the cost to herself, was a hallmark of her character. An admirable trait, yes, but one that concerned him for _her _in this instance. This mission should never have come to her or proceeded without the guidance of her Master.

Rex's gut clenched painfully with the thought of General Skywalker in his position. Somehow, he doubted his General would be having the same problems when it came to Ahsoka, or have reacted in the situations in the same manner. Anakin had far more galactic experience than either his apprentice or his Captain and Rex wished he could have channeled that or at least had access to it.

Exhaling as he willed his undisciplined body to settle, to allow him to sleep, Rex turned his face to the pillow and closed his eyes. The faint, distinctive cinnamon and clove scent of Ahsoka's skin enveloped him immediately, filling his lungs and sliding between his ribs like a well-placed knife.

Rex groaned, throwing one arm over his eyes as he rolled onto his back and tried to forget what he'd smelled. Now that he was aware of it, though, the sheets seemed to be saturated with her scent. It enveloped him completely, rubbing against his skin, his brain already filling in the blanks with the memory of waking to find her straddling him, and he was beyond aching to agony in moments.

Conscious of what had occurred the last time he'd attempted to find even a little relief, Rex gritted his teeth and did his best to banish the images and sensations. Trying to picture something, _anything _that would help, he took a deep breath.

Bolo ball.

With a start he realized the season was in full swing, he had access to holo feeds and he'd never given it so much as a thought since arriving on planet; since being given this assignment. He wondered who was ahead so far this season. His thoughts turned towards the playoffs and Ahsoka's eager expression sprang to mind as she'd leaned forward to help shave his-

That wouldn't work.

Rex focused on something else... his blasters.

Picturing the DC-17 blaster pistols was calming and mentally he decided to perform an exercise that he'd done a million times; he'd clean them.

He imagined them in hand, his fingers tracing over first of the barrels to check for deficiencies. The smooth shaft was warm in his hands as if he'd just fired and he frowned, running his fingers along one side of a barrel, feeling a raised seam-

Rex choked, realizing that cleaning his decee probably wasn't the image he needed right in that moment. Folding his hands and locking his fingers together to cradle his head, he slid them behind it.

His armor, that was a safe topic, right? No; Ahsoka had helped him paint the stripes on the last set.

His brothers? His brow furrowed; thoughts of Torrent Company inevitably led to images of Ahsoka's bravery and good humor. Of her putting herself in the line of fire again and again to save _them_ when they were supposed to be protecting _her_.

Battle images quickly resolved in the odd lunge as she came at him to knock him out of the way or he returned the favor, resulting in a quick pin of her beneath him to the-

Rex cut the thought off quickly and harshly, shifting his focus again.

His General - stuck back on the _Resolute _in a bacta tank thanks to a series of stupid heroics that had saved many, many men. Unfortunately, thoughts of his General always brought with them thoughts of his Commander and Ahsoka's concerned and earnest image sprang to mind; the expression she'd been wearing when she'd heard of Skywalker's 'accident'.

Snapping his eyes open, Rex stared at the ceiling for a long moment, wondering if the Force was torturing him for lusting after one of its agents. For he wasn't under any impression that it was anything different and, much as he hated himself for it, he couldn't seem to stop.

Not only couldn't stop, but felt it intensifying daily.

Physically, he was as strung out as he'd ever been; if he was wound any tighter, he'd pop. _Which wouldn't exactly be a bad thing,_he thought darkly. The release would have been more than welcome.

The physical agony aside, it was the mental strain that was undeniably worse.

Having to watch Ahsoka putting herself out there while keeping himself in check. Watching her as his every fiber of self told him it was wrong, yet couldn't stop. They were there for a mission and he was ogling his young Commander, consumed with jealousy and rage. Not all of it directed at the male populace around him.

If nothing else the whole experience was proving to be a humbling one. He wasn't as strong as he'd thought; he wasn't above the baser urges of his men; he wasn't the untouchable pillar of strength others had viewed him to be.

He wasn't, Rex realized as he struggled to find the most comfortable position possible, the trustworthy friend Ahsoka saw him to be.

If he had been, he wouldn't desire her as he did; wouldn't be thinking of her in the context he had no business envisioning based on their military relationship. He wouldn't have been lying there, wishing she was next to him, and struggling with the knowledge that he wasn't sure he could have resisted reaching for her if she had been.

* * *

Ahsoka pushed away from the holonet terminal, unable to read further, her mind whirling with what she'd learned.

_Perfectly natural_, she thought, moving to sit in the same chair where Rex had brought her the night before, _a perfectly natural reaction... to one's chosen mate!_

Sinking to the seat, she buried her face in her hands, bracing her elbows on her knees and pressed her finger tips to her temples. Rex had, thankfully, left her to her own devices. She was so mortified to discover _why _she'd reacted to him as she had, she wasn't certain she could have faced him in those moments.

Part of her wanted to scream at having been so foolish, so _obvious _and transparent. _You could have shouted it from the stage and gotten it over with_, she thought caustically, _it would have saved a lot of time and worry!_ Not to mention that, thanks to his research, Rex _had _to know how she felt about him - and if he didn't _know_, he would certainly suspect!

She felt like an idiot.

Yet, despite that, another part of her was vastly relieved. She was glad to know she had submitted to Rex so blatantly, so _trustingly_, because he was _Rex_ and not because she'd been handled the way she'd been. It gave her peace of mind to know that it was a reaction to _him_ and not just any male. If anyone else had tried to do what he had, she would have resisted, according to the research, with prejudice. Just as well they hadn't tried; without knowing what was happening to her, she'd have blown their cover for sure.

_And now I owe Rex _another_ apology_, she grimaced, dropping her hands to fold them together.

It was only then she noticed she was shaking.

Pushing back to her feet, she paced across the room and then back, nervous energy translating into movement as she struggled with the new information and the knowledge that Rex shared the same. Except he didn't, she realized mid-step on her tenth trip towards the main door, pulling up short. Rex may have read the same information, but could he really understand it without _being _Togrutan? She wasn't sure, but her instincts were saying 'no'.

Yes, he knew what the reactions were _supposed _to mean, but he couldn't _really _be sure, could he? Or was she just latching onto what she hoped was the case? There was no way to tell for sure until Rex woke from his nap and it wasn't a conversation she was looking forward to.

Instead, she focused on the night before and other details that had been pushed to the back of her mind in the face of her violent physical submission to Rex.

Like… watching Ishka give a lap dance; she'd seen new moves she would have to try and, discomforted or not, she had to practice. She couldn't risk looking like an amateur. Or the fact she'd been told that males had approached Rex; how had he turned them away? What had he said to discourage them?

Focusing on the various details, she left her embarrassment fade away. Yes; she would need to talk with Rex, but she also had a mission to complete and her own feelings and reactions for the stoic Captain aside, she couldn't allow herself to founder. Together, she and Rex would have to get through this. They would just… know each other a little better when it was all said and done. No harm in that, right?

Her gaze trailed back to the bedroom door, urging Rex to come through it so she could get it over with.

As it turned out, Ahsoka had most of the day to herself, with Rex emerging from the bedroom with barely an hour before it was time for them to go to the cantina. It left her no time to address the personal issue with the weight it deserved, and instead, she pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on the mission.

Rex submitted to a second variation of lap dance techniques, but Ahsoka didn't tease them both with a full routine. Instead she made sure she was all business, showcasing what she'd learned and being sure to show him the two options as to how she'd done the dance the first time and what she'd seen at the cantina the night before.

Unfortunately, Rex was able to give her very little feedback beyond his reactions, but Ahsoka was heartened. Rex had been rigid on the chair but she could tell by the way his biceps flexed when he enjoyed something and filed away the routine for later. She would need every trick in her arsenal to make good on the trust Jedi Council and GAR Intelligence had placed in her to accomplish the mission.

As they got ready to leave that night, Ahsoka packed a few more of the outfits to ensure she had something fresh, part of her hoping that their target would appear tonight and part of her hoping he wouldn't. She and Rex needed to talk about what had happened and they would need to do it soon.


	8. Mission: Day Four: Part 2

_Mission Day Four - Part 2_

After seeing Ahsoka to her dressing room, Rex went searching for the manager of _The Catalyst_, a human male he'd met twice before by the name of Rhyn Qualilles - Quill for short. He wasn't hard to find, having an office on the second floor of the cantina, and Rex wasted no time in climbing the stairs to the next level.

Rhyn was in his office when Rex was announced and shown in, going over what looked to be an account ledger and adjusting numbers. As Rex was shown in, he finished his task and placed the stylus aside, offering a smile and a gesture to the seat across from the desk. "Rex. Good evening." The cultured tones were even and refined. "Please; have a seat."

Rex sat, though he had no desire to, and took in Rhyn with a look.

An older gentleman with tanned skin and piercing, shrewdly intelligent green eyes, Rhyn Qualilles was not what Rex had envisioned an owner of this kind of establishment to be. His silvering golden hair lent him an air of respectability and refinement that well matched, what Ahsoka had called, classically handsome human features, and a smart wardrobe. All in all, the image before him didn't appear to belong to the owner of the establishment, but one of its higher class patrons.

"What brings you to my office this evening, Rex? Nothing wrong with your Kora I presume?"

"You promised me safety, Quill," Rex returned shortly, "and my girl was attacked last night; damaged." He narrowed his gaze on the older man.

"An unfortunate event that prevented her from entertaining the clientele you'd no doubt engaged for her."

Rex wasn't about to inform the other man he'd shot the only two who'd been interested in paying the price for her. "She was damaged; only an old recipe from her people and a full night's rest let her recover."

"Regrettable," Rhyn agreed. "Perhaps she can make up the lost revenue this evening."

"She'll dance," Rex growled, wanting to cut his tongue out before continuing, but knowing he had to play the part, "as we agreed but _your _clients from last night cost me credits!"

"And your girl's lack of customers cost me," the deep green of Rhyn's eyes gleamed with carnal intent, "she could entertain me to make up for it."

There was a moment of silence as Rex realized what the other man was suggesting. Bile rose in the back of his throat as he momentarily saw red. He slowly rose to his feet, placed both hands on the desk, and loomed over the older man, glaring. "Your clientele damaged my girl; she didn't work because _your_ people couldn't protect her. The way I see it, _your _establishment couldn't live up to our agreement," he patted one of the pockets on his coat, "and you owe me for her lost earnings."

"Never; she should have kept working."

"She couldn't stand."

"Is standing a necessary requirement for entertaining a few gentlemen? Last time I checked, most Burlesque Coquettes are on their knees or their backs."

Narrowing his gaze at Rhyn, Rex smile coldly, more of a smirk than a smile, gritting his teeth as he wished he could plant his fist in the man's face. "The fall was hard enough to rattle her, Quill; she was no use to me."

Also known as Hustler speak for she couldn't have worked to standard. Rhyn leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together. "Then perhaps it's time you add another girl or two to your repertoire, my friend."

"Perhaps I should take her elsewhere," Rex pushed off the desk, seriously considering scrapping the mission right then. There were other ways they could get close to their target. None as effective, be he was certain, but they'd figure something else if need be. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Some place where she'll be appreciated for her talents."

"And where would you go? No other cantina in this forsaken town will take in freelancers!"

"Then perhaps I'll take her into an exclusive cantina." The threat wasn't an idle one; Rex knew Ahsoka could not only match, but exceed, the talents of the girls she shared the stage with if she needed to.

"We have an agreement!"

"Yes, Quill; we do," Rex pulled the data rod with said agreement from his pocket and placed it with a deliberate motion onto the desk before Rhyn. "And you're going to authorize it with my new cut."

"Your new…" Rhyn snatched the datarod and slipped it into the reader, his eyes widening fractionally as his head snapped up to glare at Rex. "Forty percent!"

"Call it hazard pay," leaning back down on the desk to put his face near Rhyn's, Rex curled his fingers tight against the wood to resist the urge to grab him by the collar, or throttle him. "Your boys couldn't keep my girl safe last night; I'll do it myself."

"No wanton whore is worth a forty percent cut to her Hustler!"

"Kora has brought you customers you'd never seen before and every time she dances, she will _continue _to bring in those customers. The further her reputation spreads," and the thought made him sick to his stomach, "the busier your establishment will be. Togrutan females are notoriously hard to control; the novelty alone would make you credits."

Rhyn seemed aware of it and changed tactics. "At a forty percent cut, she works the floor."

"She'll work the floor the night after she gives her first lap dance," Rex snapped. "Only once I'm certain she won't be harmed off the stage, will I allow it."

There was another moment of silence between the two men and Rhyn finally nodded. "Agreed," he skimmed through the rest of the contract, Rex knowing he'd find no other changes, before notarizing it. Ejecting the disc, he handed it back to Rex. "Just don't take too long in deciding _when_ she's to work the floor, _friend_, or I'll take my percentage out of her hide."

"Try it," growled Rex through gritted teeth, "and you'll be lucky to be sucking your meals through a straw for the rest of your life." He let that sink in for a moment before turning to walk away, his threat having gained him a narrowed gaze. Tough; the man needed to know Ahsoka wasn't to be trifled with - and neither was he. "Pleasure doing business with you, Quill."

He didn't register the response he was certain Rhyn called to his back as he instead focused on eliminating the pressing real urge to permanently damage the man's perfect features, grab Ahsoka and run.

Unfortunately, there was the mission to consider. The mission. He wanted to say damn the mission, scrap it, and spirit her away from the lust filled gazes of the lechers in her audience. But, with Ahsoka still intending to follow it through to the end, how could he do any less?

* * *

Ahsoka gained the stage for her second dance, this time with several of the girls as they shimmied and shook and basically looked pretty for the audience without any real skill. It gave her a chance to look towards the small table in an alcove by the stage where Rex had been placed at the beginning of the night. Several creatures had already spoken with him, but as with the night before, two were dead and none approached him during the dances.

She didn't exactly approve of his casual violence but she wasn't about to deplore it either; Rex needed to do what was necessary to protect her; how could she object to that?

While she swayed and danced with several of the other girls, Ishka and Zidel left the stage, practically flowing into the crowd. As a Zeltron, Zidel was a favorite for a reason, but tonight she'd objected to sharing a stage with Ahsoka.

The dance manager had simply laughed at her and ordered her on stage before his voice had dropped away to a menacing whisper. The Zeltron had looked... irritated and flounced onto the stage. Ahsoka was curious to know what threat one used with a real Burlesque Coquette to get her to cooperate.

Watching her now, Ahsoka had to admit that she could learn a thing or two from the Zeltron. She moved through the crowd almost like a bird, flitting from one customer to the next, teasing them with tantalizing touches and flirtatious looks. Dancing and swaying to the music, she appeared to be enjoying herself except Ahsoka could _feel_ the malevolence behind the act. Zidel had no desire to be on the floor and the _only _reason she was there...

Ahsoka sucked in a sharp breath, missing a step as Zidel's focus shifted to Rex and stayed there. _No_. A quick jab in the side from another of the girls reminded her to move and she resumed her mindless swaying, her heart climbing into her throat.

There was nothing she could do as the Zeltron approached the corner, moving from customer to customer, but obviously with a mark in mind - and Rex seemed unaware of her approach. Ahsoka tilted her head in the dance, catching his eye, knowing he could see hers through the heavily veiled and adorned face, and deliberately shifted towards where Zidel was almost at his side.

Rex turned just as the Zeltron reached him, pressing forward to push her breasts against his face and Ahsoka saw his eyes widen as he withdrew in a lightning quick move. Zidel was no stranger to men though, and Ahsoka could do no more than move with the music, feeling the burn of an unfamiliar emotion in the pit of her stomach as the Zeltron slid into Rex's lap.

"She's good at what she does," the dancer on her left leaned in, touching her shoulder and drawing her around and away into a circle, forcing Ahsoka's eyes off Rex. "Zidel will handle your Hustler."

_I don't want her to_. Ahsoka choked back the immediate reply, unable to help the way her gaze went straight back to Rex as they faced forward once more, spinning slowly apart to four corners of the stage. Each rotation showed her a scene she didn't want to see.

Zidel sliding her hands behind Rex's neck, his on her wrists. A switch in perspective and she could now see Zidel arching backwards and down as Rex pulled her arms back, an obvious attempt to dislodge her but one that pressed the much better endowed Zeltron's chest to his.

Ahsoka felt sick as she turned again with the dance only to find Rex had pushed Zidel from his lap but she was now facing away from him. Undulating against his hold, Rex's hands were clearly visible on the dancer's hips, but she'd planted herself in his lap. Firmly; her feet were hooked around Rex's ankles.

The urge to do something, to tear the hussy's hands from Rex broke upon her with the force of a crashing wave or rough landing. It was agony to stand there knowing she could do nothing and consoled only by the fact that he was pushing Zidel away. He was...

He _wasn't _and, as Ahsoka watched, Zidel straddled one of his thighs, baring her teeth at the clone.

Ahsoka saw red.

* * *

Rex tilted his head away but not fast enough to avoid having his earlobe nipped by the aggressive dancer.

"Come on, honey," she told him with an almost feral smile, "I could teach you things that little horn head has never even heard or dreamed of."

The context of the offer wasn't lost on him as she slid closer, pressing her knee against his aching groin, her short nails raking the back of his neck - and for a moment Rex was tempted. She was willing and experienced and while she wasn't Ahsoka, she could no doubt provide the kind of relief his body craved. For a second he considered it, picturing it, wondering what it would be like to have her take him backstage.

Her breath feathered across his cheek. "It's not natural for a Hustler to have just one girl," her words were a purr, holding a power of suggestion he'd never encountered, "you must get tired having the same thing night after night; a little change never hurt anyone."

Indecision allowed her to ease further forward, her free hand on his chest, sliding downwards with deliberate intent. Rex made no move to stop her and she nipped him again as her fingertips slid under the band of his pants, teasingly, promisingly, the heel of her hand applying an intimate pressure.

"Nothing to say, Rex?" her lips pressed against the joint at the back of his ear, her teeth scraping along the bone as her hand applied pressure below his belt, her breasts pressing against his chest. "Youth has its advantages, but experience comes with age…"

He half closed his eyes, his breath escaping on a hiss as her fingers flexed.

"You've large hands, Hustler. Hands to bruise and spank and pin." She breathed against his neck, her words a breathy invitation, "Spank me; pin me; bruise me; when there's as large a man as you for a reward between my legs, I'd be your willing slave."

The seductive murmur of her words painted a picture he could practically see. Of having her pinned against the wall with the full force of his grip; of putting the temptress at his mercy as he gloried in her submission.

"Take full control, Rex; dominate me, _own_ me... find your girl some other company and _come _with me..."

Her lips slid along his jaw, her tongue darting out to taste his skin, and it was that touch that startled him, jolting him partially free of the spell she was weaving. He stiffened, clenching his hands to find they were still on her hips and gave her a reflexive shove, growling low in his throat. It was enough to push her back from the top of his thigh to his knee and dislodge the hand at his belt.

"Mmm," she lifted free in a single move -

-and let out a shriek as she was suddenly tumbling around and towards the stage. Crashing into a table back first, Zidel was saved from hitting the ground by a couple of quick handed patrons.

Rex was on his feet as she moved, looking around; he hadn't struck her that hard.

No one was in the vicinity, but his gaze darted to Ahsoka unthinkingly for support only to see a smug smile peeking through her veiled features. She made a gesture he was familiar with, but couldn't immediately place, and he was pulled forward two steps before planting himself to prevent it further.

His head cleared as the Zeltron moved away, assisted by her adoring fans, and it was then he realized what Ahsoka had done.

Daringly, one might say stupidly, she'd hauled Zidel from his lap with the Force.

The music dwindled away, the girls sashaying off the stage to the roar of the crowd. Rex, his mouth dry, resumed his seat, eyes narrowed, as he watched Ahsoka disappear. He was taking a sip of his drink when a shadow fell over his table and Rhyn, without being asked, slid into the empty chair.

"What do you want for her?"

"She's not for sale."

"Everything is for sale, especially a beautiful dancer; name your price."

Rex shook his head and placed his glass back on the table. "Not tonight, Quill."

"Then perhaps a favor for a favor," Rhyn raised his hand, drawing the Zeltron who'd been in Rex's lap over with a snap of his fingers. "Zidel could bear to learn a few new tricks... and I'd love to teach your Kora some of mine."

_Over my dead body_. Rex's smile was as easy as it ever got - a half smile with a tilt of his head. "Another time; I've already offers to fill her night."

"I could pay them out," the suggestion was more of an order Rex chose not to follow, "Kora moves exquisitely - I simply _must _know the feel of her beneath me." As he spoke, Zidel placed one hand on the side of Rhyn's face, stroking it, her eyes on Rex even as Rhyn continued. "Hustler to Hustler; Manager to patron, it would be remiss of me not to know what is being offered in my own establishment, wouldn't you agree? Zidel for Kora for the evening – it's a more than fair trade."

Rex shook his head and was about to answer when Ahsoka slid around the back of the booth, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as her fingers trailed over the crown of his scalp and down. "A fair trade, Rex?"

Her voice was a purr, but off enough Rex's gaze flashed to hers. He almost winced; he knew that look - knew it well. It was the look she turned on her Master when he did something stupid enough to cause major injury. Irritation and frustration normally laced with concern; the latter was decidedly lacking. "Kora, this is Quill; he owns _The Catalyst_."

Ahsoka extended her hand, bending far too far over the table for Rex's liking as she offered it to Rhyn. "I can't thank you enough for the opportunity to work in this fine establishment... and the chance to bring it a touch of class."

"Charmed, Kora."

Rhyn accepted her hand, drawing it to his lips, and her further across the table top, his eyes blazing in a way Rex didn't like one bit. With the costume she was wearing, he could bet Rhyn was getting an eyeful and then some. Reaching forward, he grabbed Ahsoka by the hips, his fingers brushing against her flesh, and hauled her off the table and down into his lap, yanking her hand from Rhyn's in the process.

Good; he didn't want the creep touching her anyway.

Ahsoka didn't fight but instead turned towards him, sliding her knees apart a touch for balance and shifted to straddle his thigh. The one still under the table. It left her intimately pressed against him from hip to shoulder, her wide blue eyes staring up into his face. "You spoke of a trade, Rex; did I interrupt an _intense _bargaining session?"

Casting her a cautionary look, Rex turned his attention back to the pair across the table; a pair that appeared to have taken Ahsoka's initiative as an invitation. Rhyn arched an eyebrow, motioning to Ahsoka as Zidel's arm moved up and down just below the edge of the table; Rex didn't have to ask what she was doing.

Rhyn, however, seemed to take it as nothing out of the ordinary, nodding to Ahsoka. "Shall we trade, Rex? A... sample for a sample?"

Ahsoka's eyes narrowed, he caught it from the corner of his eye, and he tightened his grip on her fractionally. If he didn't play this _just _right, she'd end up the manager's play thing for the night; he had to focus. Doing so with a sexy, aggressive Ahsoka in his lap wasn't exactly an ideal circumstance.

She turned her head before he answered and addressed Rhyn herself. "Only a fool trades a taste of good whisky for that of cheap ale." She cocked her head coquettishly, visibly pressing herself into Rex's body, "perhaps some other time... when you've something of _real _value to trade."

Zidel sucked in a sharp breath as the barb found its mark and Rhyn let out a delighted shout of laughter. "Oh Rex, a gem! A _corusca_ gem; you've let her keep her spirit!"

Ahsoka slid from Rex's lap, making him tense as she dipped under the table, the tips of her montrals the only thing visible as she pressed her face to the inside of his knee. The tiny, sharp points of her teeth penetrated the leather and pricked his skin with enough of a pinch to mark. It was all Rex could do not to jerk as she, somehow, managed to slid out gracefully and twirl to her feet.

Without a backwards glance, Ahsoka walked away, leaving Rex to nurse a wound and try to explain to Rhyn about his girl's sense of self. It was not, Rex would reflect later, a pleasant or easy conversation but one that, in the end, only solidified the owner's determination to secure a night with her.

A night, Rex vowed, that would never happen.


	9. Mission: Day Four: Part 3

_Mission Day Four: Part 3_

"What the Force was that all about?" Ahsoka rounded on Rex the moment they gained their sanctuary several hours later and the door locked behind them. "I thought you were supposed to be keeping an eye out for our target, not fondling the merchandise!"

Blindsided by the sudden attack, Rex took a step back, ending up against the portal leading to the outside. "What? What are you-"

"Zidel, Rex," the Togrutan practically spat the name.

Pacing away several steps before turning back, her arms crossed over her chest, her whole posture screamed aggressive attack; a posture he well recognized. He had no trouble imagining her with lightsaber and shoto in hand, ready to eliminate the threat. Which appeared, at the moment, to be him. Rex was suddenly glad he could only picture, and not actually see, her blades. Some self preservation instinct warned him he had to tread carefully, though he didn't fully understand why. "Zidel."

"Yes, Zidel!"

Her skin was flushed with a vivid red color he'd never seen, different from the burnt sienna of her embarrassment, the chevrons on her montrals and lekku had turned deep green instead of their normal blue. With the information from his research session the night before still fresh in his mind, Rex had no trouble identifying the signal. _Possessive_; _Ahsoka's feeling possessive. Of me._ Put another way, he realized with a start, she was _jealous_. It wasn't a color he'd seen on her before. "I didn't ask for her to come to me."

"You didn't have to ask, Rex; you just have to be you." Shaking her head, her arms loosened but didn't fall. "You… could have at least told her no."

"I tried."

"You could have tried harder!"

"Short of shooting her-"

"Then you should have shot her!"

"I wasn't about to blow our cover just to push her away; I'm _supposed_ to have an eye for women who can turn a profit. Turning her away seemed counter intuitive." Rex frowned, feeling she was being unreasonable. "While we're on the subject, what was the little show you put on for Quill?"

Ahsoka tilted her chin stubbornly. "You're not the only one who should get a chance to play."

Pushing off the door, Rex walked straight to her and grabbed her by the shoulders so she couldn't escape, the insult passing his lips on a harsh note as she grasped his wrists. "_Di'kut_." She made to struggle, but he shook her, once. "Do you have a wish to end up in his bed? To be his _plaything_?"

"Why not, _you_ seemed content to be Zidel's!"

"Ahsoka-" Rex cut himself off.

Staring down into her eyes, he was close enough this time to see the hurt her jealous reaction had blinded him to.

He adjusted his grip, sliding one hand upwards, over the exposed skin on the tops of her shoulders and along the slender length of her neck, under her lekku. Her eyes closed as she tilted her head into his touch and Rex pulled her close. His free arm slipped behind her back as he tilted his head to hers, his voice a harsh, hurt murmur. "Watching you flirt with Quill…I wanted to grab you; to run out of there and never look back."

"I wanted the same," she admitted, her voice breaking as she wrapped her arms around his waist beneath his coat and clung tightly. "I couldn't… Zidel…watching you with her made me sick." He hugged her closer, his fingertips caressing the back of her neck, and a slightly raised vein there, even as her fingers dug into his waist. "I think she knows it."

Rex considered her statement for a moment, his fingers moving unconsciously upon her skin, Ahsoka pressing closer to his frame and leaning into his touch with a soft gasp. It took minute for him to sort through what had happened at the cantina. "She targeted me, didn't she?"

Ahsoka nodded, her voice catching in her throat. "I think so."

He closed his eyes and he tucked his head down to hers, cupping her jaw in his hand and pressing his lips to her forehead. "I didn't realize-" swallowing hard, he tightened his grip, "Ahsoka, I-"

"Don't, Rex. You didn't know; you couldn't-" she cut herself off, pulling back and searching his expression, their positions leaving them nearly nose to nose. "What happened, Rex? Why did you... didn't... you didn't _like _her did you?"

Rex reluctantly eased his grip on her, letting his hand slide from its position at her neck back to her shoulder. "No; I don't like her."

"But?"

"There was a moment I was tempted," he winced, "but only a moment; I wasn't thinking clearly."

"What do you mean?"

He wasn't sure where to begin.

"Rex? What did it feel like?"

"Wrong."

"Wrong how?"

Pulling away from her, Rex turned aside, suddenly irritated she was pushing this; it was bad enough he'd been unable to push Zidel away. He wasn't about to tell Ahsoka just how tempted he'd been despite the fact he'd found the dancer repulsive. "Let it go, Ahsoka."

"Rex..." she caught his elbow, refusing to let him retreat, her tone earnest. "There might be another reason you didn't push her away; what did it feel like?"

How could he describe it? It had been like walking through space; wanting to move quickly but unable to think clearly, as if suffering from a lack of oxygen. It felt like... it came to him in a flash. "It felt like when Ventress was in my head on Teth."

"Like she was trying to control you?"

Rex nodded.

"I thought so," Ahsoka shook her head, "Zeltrons can manipulate their pheromones, Rex; they can make you feel and think things you wouldn't normally. They can amplify desires or make themselves more appealing; there's a reason they're sought after as dancers. You can't blame yourself."

He didn't like the thought that he'd been unable to control his reaction because he'd been manipulated. "I do; I _should _have been able to resist it."

"That's my fault," Ahsoka's admission was guilty. "I didn't think she'd make a play for you."

"Has she been bothering you?"

"She's made some nasty comments but I didn't think she'd go after you this fast."

"You suspected she would?"

"In a few days; I was going to tell you about her tonight."

Rex shook his head. "What's she said?"

"What I would figure is the usual talk for a place like _The Catalyst_," Ahsoka sighed and grimaced. "She's not happy about having me steal her spotlight. I just never figured she'd take it out on you."

"I should have expected it."

"Why? How? You were no better prepared for this mission than I was, Rex; we're so far beyond what either of us is trained for, maybe we should just call it quits."

"No," he couldn't believe the word as it slipped past his lips, but Rex realized in that moment he meant it. To stop now would mean everything he'd endured, everything _they'd_ endured, was for naught. "We've come too far to abandon this mission now. We'll just have to become better informed; anything else I should know about your Zeltron rival?"

"She's hardly a rival."

He shot her a look and she flushed.

"Sorry; Zeltrons are supposed to be able to influence physical reactions and implant suggestions."

"My momentary lapse of good sense could have been her idea."

"Maybe," with a shrug, Ahsoka conveyed the end of her knowledge, and Rex could see she was still hurt by his actions despite the fact she was trying to assure him it wasn't his fault.

"Ahsoka," he turned back to face her fully, not quite sure what he could say that would fix this and not make them worse. Telling her he wanted her, and _only_ her, was a bad idea; she might know it, but it would open doors that would be difficult to close later. Gazing into her eyes, he opened his mouth to continue, but couldn't find the words.

She saved him, reaching up to touch his cheek with cool fingers, a soft, understanding smile crossing her lips. "I know, Rex," she assured him quietly. "You don't have to say anything. This is new to me too"

Covering her hand with his, Rex squeezed her fingers gratefully. They stood, looking at each other, for several long moments before Ahsoka blushed faintly and stepped away, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.

His brow furrowed as she tried to take her hand away, but he didn't let her go. "What is it?"

"All of this took my mind off of last night and… and you biting me."

Heat flashed through him, his fingers tightening unconsciously on hers. He hadn't forgotten, or even been distracted enough to forget about it; he could still taste her on his tongue. For everything they'd done since then, he wondered if he'd ever taste anything _not_ her again.

The change of topic was distracting and unbalancing, the tension that had been simmering between them, tempered and leashed, suddenly roaring to the forefront with a vengeance.

* * *

Ahsoka saw the flare within Rex's eyes as they deepened to amber with her statement and, despite the churning in her gut, the little spark show that seemed to be sizzling through her veins, she firmly kept her mind on the task before her. She owed him an apology for the night before.

"I didn't understand what was happening yesterday, Rex, and while that's no excuse, I shouldn't have taken that fear out on you."

"I shouldn't have bitten you."

She didn't agree; for all the mental anguish, reflection upon the sequence of events had led her to the conclusion that he couldn't have made a more effective show of having her cooperation even if they'd planned one in advance. "If you hadn't, what would have happened?"

"We can't know."

"No, but we do know that by doing so, you decimated the arguments of the men who wished to… to take me," she swallowed hard on the sentence. "I was ungrateful for the rescue and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't understand what was happening and that I reacted the way I did after the fact. I'm _really_ sorry I took it out on you when you looked it up."

"I needed to know."

"So did I," she countered, trying to ignore the almost electric feel of his fingers on hers, "I just… I was embarrassed, Rex. I should have known before you did." They looked at one another for long moments before she realized something as she searched his gaze. "You're not sorry you did, are you?"

"No."

"Rex, I don't want to you to misunderstand, I-"

She wasn't given a chance to finish as he stepped closer, his free hand coming up with hesitant, almost jerky moves, to cup her face; she could feel him shaking. Could see it in his eyes he was fighting with himself and the attraction between them, even as his thumb slowly, with aching gentleness, stroked her cheek.

"There's nothing to misunderstand, Ahsoka," his assurance was rough, his voice husky, "You reacted to me as a dominant female reacts to the welcome advances of a dominant male."

Ahsoka sucked in a breath; she wouldn't have put it in quite those terms, but that was the bare bones of everything they'd read. "I-"

"It's why you bit me; to mark your mate."

She swallowed hard, unable to look away from the sparkling amber irises which held her captive; unable to find the words to refute his statements. Rex understood her reaction on an intellectual level, but she was certain he couldn't understand the riot of conflicting emotions and reactions his touch was setting off within her body. His head dipped towards hers, and Ahsoka's breath caught as she realized his intent.

_Rex is going to kiss me._

There were so many reasons why it was a bad idea. So many reasons why they couldn't indulge in this attraction between them, why they needed to fight it; why they had to stay focused. So many reasons... and all she wanted was one more kiss. The feel of his lips on hers; of being in his arms this time - of pressing herself against his lean length and drawing strength and comfort from his embrace.

She _needed_ this; needed to know she was wanted, that he didn't hold her behavior against her. Needed to know he didn't find her reactions to his behavior repulsive or unnatural.

His lips brushed hers and her eyelids fluttered shut, his name a breath on her lips as she eased closer. Her brow furrowed as Rex brushed his mouth across hers once more but didn't let her step as close as she wished. He held her at bay, a hand span from his body, able to sense his heat, his nearness, but not touch it.

The way his lips brushed hers a third time was still exploratory, hesitant, as if he wasn't sure the touch would be welcome, and Ahsoka's fingers gripped his tightly. "Rex... please. Kiss me, ki-"

He swallowed her plea as she was suddenly flush against him, his mouth slightly parted over hers, his head tilted to the side to ensure their lips met properly. Her mouth opened under his with a whimper as the fingers on her jaw slid backwards and down to cup her neck, once more against the vulnerable veins beneath her lekku.

The kiss was over almost as soon as it had begun, Rex tearing his lips away even as he withdrew. It made her stumble as she caught herself from the unexpected loss of his support.

"We can't, Ahsoka," his voice was hoarse; pained.

One look at him, despite the instinctive hurt from his withdrawal, and Ahsoka knew he was right. She found her voice with difficulty, wrapping her arms around her own middle, lest she reach for him. "I know. The mission-"

Rex straightened. "The mission," he agreed, suddenly all business. "My apologies, Commander, for the inappropriate advance."

Ahsoka flinched with his formal apology. "Then you'll have to accept mine, Captain; I initiated the contact." He looked about to protest, as hurt as she was by the wording chosen, and Ahsoka shook her head, holding up one hand. "Don't, Rex, please? This whole mission has been a series of events neither you nor I are familiar with. We've both said and done some thing that we wouldn't normally have and," she flushed, "I think certain _reactions _can only be expected living together in such close quarters. Let's just... chalk it up to experience, okay?"

"Experience."

She nodded.

"Ahsoka," he sighed, lifting one hand to rub the back of his neck and she felt her own tingle in response. The callouses on his hands felt amazing against her skin. "Experience isn't always a good thing."

"It's not always what we want either," she agreed, looking away lest he detect her lie; she _did_ want this experience with him, but not at the cost of their friendship, "but we get it anyway." He was thoughtfully silent and she dared another look his way. "You taught me that, Rex; that experiences, good or bad, help shape who we are."

They stared at one another for a long moment before his hand dropped and he nodded towards the bedroom. "Get some shut eye, Ahsoka; it's been a long day."

She turned to go, feeling like she should say something more, something to reassure him that she wasn't angry, but the words didn't come until she was at the doorway to the bedroom. "Rex?"

"Yes?"

Turning, she looked at him directly, a smile curving her lips. "I wanted that kiss as much as you did." Without giving him a chance to respond, she slipped into the bedroom - but didn't close the door behind her.

* * *

Several hours later, Rex sat with his head in his hands as Ahsoka slept in the bed in the next room, long having given up his holonet searches for lack of focus. Unable to ignore the whimpering noises she made, which sounded like his name, he felt each one like a punch to the gut.

_She's sleeping; dreaming, _he told himself, shuddering with the invisible caress as she moaned audibly. It was impossible not to consider that she'd likely make the same sound if he put his mouth to her breast, or the warmth of her lekku the way he longed to. Or perhaps she'd moan if he ran his hands down her sides possessively, caressing her curves with deliberate intent before grasping her hips and-

A soft, pained groan escaped him, his too tight leather pants growing impossibly more so.

He was honor bound to protect her from everything this mission; from the thugs and brutes that would try and harm her, to the other dancers who didn't appreciate the new girl in their midst, to the men and male creatures who wanted to 'hire' her talents for the night.

It wasn't reassuring that he including himself in that group.

It hadn't shamed him to know he desired her, had for some time, but this mission was placing those desires in the forefront. They were constantly under his skin and growing. Every glimpse of her eyes or tilt of her face with the impish, excited expression she revealed only to him upon gaining their sanctuary, twisted him further in knots.

Her poise and control thus far humbled, as much as it infuriated, him. Nothing, except the amorous intent of another dancer towards _him_, had fazed her. While he knew that she knew this wasn't a game, he couldn't help but feel as if she was _enjoying_ her part a little too much. Being the tease; _dancing_ to inflame the men.

To inflame _him_.

He could see the knowledge in her eyes whenever they met his, playing their roles of Master and Slave to fulfillment. She was his willing pet, taunting him with her natural athletic ability and physical beauty made all the more potent by the spirit that had ensnared him for so long. Rex _wanted_ Ahsoka; _burned _for her with an ache that was physically visceral and emotionally devastating. He_ desired_ her in the basest way a man could and more.

He winced as she made a little breathless noise, a whimper, audibly shifting in her sleep and then cried out. It drew him around in alarm, thinking she'd hurt herself. He shot to his feet and was at the bedroom door with three strides.

Looking in, he searched for the cause of her cry.

All was quiet as she rolled, her legs shifting restlessly together under the covers, the blanket having dipped to reveal the partially covered curves of one shoulder and breast. His eyes traced the lines of her body unwittingly, filing them away in the back of his mind like every other piece of data he'd ever seen. For when he didn't know; maybe when he was back on the _Resolute_, back to being her Captain, back to being her _friend_ and not her protector. Back to being a man who no longer had the right or privilege to watch her sleep.

_"Rex..."_

A shudder ripped through him as she clearly said his name, her face shadowed but not hidden, visibly still asleep; his fingers flexed, tightening on the door jamb. Her hands moved restlessly in her slumber, sliding down her body, one on top of the blanket, one underneath, touching herself in the places _he_ longed to touch her.

One cupped her breast, lifting the globe trapped beneath the fabric in a form of offering. The other drifted lower, a visible bump under the covers as it crossed her stomach and down over her hip, curling upwards as her wrist flexed. She gasped as her neck arched, her head tilting backwards. That instinctive sign of submission as alluring as it was frustrating in her unconscious state, his name once again on her lips.

A weaker man would have given in. A less honorable man would have accepted that invitation and joined her on that bed, taking what she offered. He would have kissed her to wakefulness and fulfilled both of their frustrated desires.

Rex, to his damnation, was an honorable man; he was a strong man. Even as that strength waned, he somehow found the willpower to resist.

He turned away, closing the door and leaning his forehead against the portal. _I should never have kissed her._

It had been a mistake; a miscalculation in judgment which had come about because of the events between them thus far and led to this moment.

To his desire to be on the other side of the portal; to be in the bed with her. Clearly, he could feel the satin of her skin in his hands, the weight of her pressing him down to the bed as she had their first night, where he'd found her upon waking. He could feel the ghost of her touch as she 'practiced' on him, driving him to madness.

_The mission; think about the mission. Find the Seppie spy; get the information. Don't lose sight of why we're here; of why we're doing this. We need to get that data crystal and get out without being detected or this will all have been for nothing._

He silently prayed for the day to pass quickly - before he lost sight of their goals and purpose. Before he lost sight of the fact that he and Ahsoka were _friends _who could never be more, and gave into the _need_ racing through his veins.

Somehow, he found the strength to walk away and return to the holo terminal to resume his search, but his mind was still mostly beyond the bedroom door with the sleeping teenager.

Unfortunately for him, he would never be able to view Ahsoka the same after this mission; he only hoped he could prevent her from knowing just how badly he desired her for _her_... and knowing that he knew she dreamed of _him_.


	10. Mission: Day Five: Part 1

**Author's Note:** My apologies for this being up late. We lost a furry member of my family yesterday [the picture in my avatar actually - Cookie] and I'm still in shock.

Day Five is about 10K long and will be in two parts. Thanks for reading guys, and for your patience

* * *

_Mission Day Five - Part One_

Rex didn't sleep.

Ahsoka's parting shot, and subsequent dream, had tied him in knots and destroyed his attempts to put some distance between them.

_The mission_, he reminded himself sternly, for the umpteenth time. Somehow during the day he'd found the strength to corral his baser urges and focus on what needed to be done. It hadn't been easy, and they kept slipping unbidden into his thoughts, but through sheer force of will, he'd managed to focus.

With no sign of their target yet, Rex was starting to wonder if intelligence had steered them wrong. If this whole farce was all for nothing, heads were going to roll - starting with General Kenobi. Not that he'd ever strike a Jedi but having a brief, pointed talk with the General would make him feel better.

Rex spent his day researching Zeltrons, among other things, to better prepare himself for Zidel's next trick. Ahsoka had made an enemy and there was no doubt in his mind that this adversary wouldn't try again. Zidel had been humiliated and insulted in front of her employer and Rex suspected she would attempt to do something just as public to regain the favor of her boss.

Hopefully she'd try it against him but Rex suspected Ahsoka would be the target.

Zidel, unfortunately, seemed to be the opposite of everything he read about the species, leading him to believe that she was likely unique in ways that other Zeltrons. Everyone was compared to the basic template in a database, but Zidel seemed to really break the mold and he came away from the research session is more questions than answers.

He did, however, learned about their abilities and found he was better prepared mentally to deal with the temptations she might try. Being aware of the manipulation was half the battle; if he could resist Ahsoka, to whom he felt a strong attraction, and not just a physical one, he could certainly resist any false allure some two bit dancer attempted to impose upon him.

Though, his ability to resist Ahsoka was being tested daily and Rex feared it was only a matter of time before-

"Have you been at that terminal all day?"

He turned in the chair to find Ahsoka looking at him from the doorway to the bedroom. She was dressed in a robe, by far the most concealing thing he'd seen her wear in days - aside from his coat - and he was grateful. After her dream, he wasn't sure how he would have reacted if she'd addressed him at that moment in one of her costumes.

"Recon," he reached over to turn off the display without looking, "the more I know about Zeltrons, the better prepared I'll be able to deal with Zidel tonight."

Ahsoka's smile was tolerant and wry; there was no sign of the tension that had been between them before she'd gone to bed and for that he was grateful. He had no intention of enlightening her to what he'd witnessed; he had no intention of making this more difficult than it already was between them.

"There won't always be a holonet you can access to fact find."

"Agreed - but it makes no sense not to use it, since we have it."

"I can't argue that; did you sleep at all?"

"I'm fine."

"That wasn't my question," she frowned. "Resistance to influences aren't all mental, Rex; there is a physical component. If you're tired, there's a better chance someone will succeed."

"I know."

"Then shouldn't you-"

"I'm fine, Ahsoka," he assured her, getting to his feet. "A shower and a change of clothes and we can go."

"For you - or for me?"

_We could share_. He bit back the groan that accompanied the image which sprang immediately to mind. Knowing she might have been teasing, he was unable to help himself. "You first," his throat was tight, his voice sounding off even to himself.

"You sure, Rex? You sound-"

"Go," he insisted, "I'm not done just yet."

For a moment he didn't think she'd go but then she nodded and left, leaving him once again to his own devices. He waited until he could hear the shower running and counted backwards from thirty before entering the bedroom.

With limited clothes, he was forced to rotate day to day; a hidden wall compartment he'd found in the bedroom held a clothes service access he'd been using. Collecting the clean clothing, he exited the room, leaving it on the table, before going to where his jacket was hanging on the wall. Reaching into the pockets, he began his other ritual.

Withdrawing the credit pouches within, he carried them back to the table and placed it next to the leathers. It was hefty and _clinked_ with the sound of many credit chits, more than he'd ever be able to spend in his lifetime, he suspected, and upended the first pouch. It held Ahsoka's earnings for the night before.

Emptying the credits on the table, he grasped the distraction for what it was and set about separating the credit chits by denominations. He'd killed another two patrons the night before, after turning down Rhyn's offer to buy Ahsoka's time for the night, which was turning into his normal night.

He felt no remorse for having killed the lowlifes the last few days; they were a threat to his Commander, to _Ahsoka _- males of their species who would have been willing to pay his inflated fee for the chance to get a taste of a forbidden and exotic flavor.

Rex would have done anything to keep them from her and felt no regrets for it.

His reward for that protection was an untouched credit pouch from each one. He went through those first, checking the chit markers and using his datapad to verify the contents. Each series of chits were placed in different piles with the primary account marker, which would require a slice by someone more proficient with security settings than he, were set to the side.

Both pouches were quickly gone through, revealing several hundred credits in one and several thousand in the other. Both males had been prepared to spend good credits to gain the favors of the dancers at _The Catalyst,_ but neither had been able to afford his asking price for Ahsoka.

Aside from the two credit chit bags from the dead patrons, Rex had a third bag from Rhyn with Ahsoka's cut from the night. What she'd earned in 'tips' by credits along with her cut from the house yielded smaller credit chits, but many of them.

The briefing report hadn't said anything about actually making credits, but then, their objective hadn't been to supply funds; it was to obtain the information crystal and nothing else. She'd already made several thousand credits and Rex wasn't sure what to do with them.

Everything they needed had been provided for them, likely to facilitate their mission, but that left him at loose ends. Separating the credit chits, he began to pile them together, shaking his head as he calculated the tens of thousands of credits that were now in their possession.

_What does one do with this many credits?_

"Rex?" her hand touched his shoulder; he hadn't heard her emerge from the bedroom, "What're you doing?"

He glanced up at her to find her curious expression on the credit chits and waved one hand at the haul. "Your cut from the club."

Her eyes widened, her fingers tightening on his shoulder. "My..." cerulean irises darted to his, "I didn't earn all of this."

"No?"

"I've only been dancing for a couple of nights, there's no way I made all of that."

Rex smiled faintly and turned back to the table, opening one of the pouches and beginning to put the smaller credit chits inside. He didn't answer her, tucking the credit chits away into the bags based on denominations.

"Rex - I _didn't_... I couldn't have-" she exhaled, paused and then, to his amusement became almost quiet. "How much?"

"Twelve thousand, five hundred and seventy two."

"Twelve..." Ahsoka leaned heavily against his back. "You're kidding me."

"No."

"Come on, Rex, twelve _thousand_?"

"and five hundred and seventy two." He continued to sort through the credit chits, trying to ignore the pleasant weight of her against his back.

"No."

He nodded.

"No!" Ahsoka began to laugh, pushing away from his shoulder. "No, Rex, there's just no way-"

He turned, leaving the credits where they were. "Would you like to count them?"

She quieted, eyes wide. "Count... you've... counted them?"

"Twice."

"How... is that possible?"

Rex pushed to his feet and collected his clothing, heading for the bedroom and 'fresher. "About three thousand is your take from the club."

"And the other nine?"

He shook his head, moving beyond her.

"Rex?"

He paused before flashing her a faint smile. "Call it... a protection fee."

"A what? Rex?"

He didn't answer her, knowing she wouldn't approve of his tactics in dealing with the men who were willing to meet his price for her; a price she didn't know he charged. One he wasn't about to enlighten her on.

"Rex!"

He escaped to the 'fresher, leaving Ahsoka in the main room, her next call cut off as he closed the door between them. Let her count it; she could see for herself.

* * *

_"Rex!"_

Ahsoka stood, with her hands on her hips, as the door to the 'fresher closed behind him without an answer. Frowning, she heard the shower turn on and seriously contemplated going in after him for a moment, of slamming open the door and demanding that he answer her - until the image of a half-naked Rex blossomed in her mind.

The heat that surged through her system was immediate and intense and she wrapped her arms around her middle, suddenly glad he was beyond her reach.

Turning her back on the doorway to the bedroom in an attempt to focus on something other than the image in her mind, Ahsoka's gaze fell on the credit chits that were still on the table.

Settling where Rex had been sitting, she reached, hesitated and then dumped the credit chits across the table. Thanks to Rex's organization, counting them was relatively easy and as she passed the five thousand count on the smaller denominations, she stopped.

_Five thousand credits_. She couldn't believe it, let alone the twelve and change he'd professed. Did Rex realize he'd bagged a small fortune? A frown crossed her lips. There was enough here to make them targets, _real_ targets, should anyone learn of the sum.

"Did I miscount?"

Startled, Ahsoka jerked around and flushed, shaking her head immediately. "I believe you. This is a lot of credits."

He arched his eyebrows.

"I mean... _a lot _of credits, Rex. Twelve thousand credits are enough to buy you just about anything."

"And?"

"Maybe you shouldn't charge as much for my time on stage."

"And lower the fee for your nightly charms?" His eyes narrowed. "Not a chance."

"But - what are we going to do with all these credits?"

He shrugged.

Ahsoka stared at him. "What's this?" she shrugged, mimicking him.

"I don't know."

"That's a lot of credits not to know what to do with."

"I don't think how to spend the credits if the focus of this mission," Rex returned dryly, "there are more immediate matters."

"I think this is pretty immediate, Rex."

Rex nodded pointedly to the chrono on the wall. "We're going to be late."

Ahsoka followed his gaze and sprang to her feet, spinning in time to slap her hands on the table and prevent the credit chits from falling off.

Rex joined her, scooping them quickly into the bags before collecting his jacket and tucking them into the concealed pockets on the inside. Ahsoka watched as he shrugged into his holster and then the jacket, hiding one blaster under his arm, the other already strapped to his thigh in its preferred position.

She wondered if she'd ever get used to seeing him like this. Part of her missed the sharp lines of his familiar armor; the familiar, comfortable white that was as much a reassurance as it was a confidence booster. By contrast, part of her was _glad _he wasn't and that she had this feast of muscle and leather to ogle.

Of course, so did everyone else.

"Ahsoka?"

Giving herself a shake, she nodded, finding her shoes and wrap, and followed him out the door.

* * *

"You know, sugar," one of the waitresses drawled as she refreshed Rex's drink between dance numbers and after he'd _discouraged_ a bunch of men with Ahsoka's fee, "most Hustlers who don't have work for their girls tend to lower their price or are, at least, open to negotiation."

He slanted the Twi'lek a look but didn't answer, plucking the fresh whiskey from the table and taking a sip.

"I'm just sayin'," she looked at him with a faint leer, "she must be somethin' else for you to not want to share her, what with the way you stare at her all hot and possessive and all."

"Are you here to serve drinks or badger the customers?"

The Twi'lek huffed and flounced away, but Rex's gut clenched with dread. He _didn't_ want anyone to be able to afford Ahsoka and so had set an impossibly, ludicrously high credit cost. It was enough to drive away the underfunded and draw in the curious; he'd already heard rumors circulating, as he'd entered _The Catalyst_,about a friend of a friend who had a cousin who'd tasted the Togrutan dancer's charms.

He hadn't stuck around to listen; if he had, someone would have ended up through the wall. Ahsoka had been right; her reputation as expensive, even for high rollers, added mystery to her and brought in larger crowds.

No matter which way he looked at it, though, the Twi'lek was right.

He'd overheard the other two Hustlers who had girls on the stage with Ahsoka negotiating for the best price for their girls; Rex alone had maintained a hard line. In a way it had only served to increase her mystique and his reputation. He'd fielded more inquiries about 'Kora' since arriving than he had any other day and each one made his blood burn that much hotter.

He knew what they were asking; the images painted in his mind with their vulgar, blatant suggestions and inquiries always making him feel just that much more on edge. Even worse, the images, once there inside his mind, were difficult to dispel; part of him _wanted_ what they did. It was worse knowing that, especially after last night, he could probably _have_ Ahsoka if the circumstances were different.

She wasn't his to have; she was his commanding officer, something he'd been losing sight of more and more this past week; something he'd do well to remember. Except… she was more than just a Commander. They'd been together fighting on the front lines of this war for almost two years; two years where they'd become close friends, confidants, partners in every platonic way possible.

He trusted and respected her beyond measure; both factors that should have helped him keep a lid on his libido. Neither of which seemed to influence it. He _wanted_ Ahsoka in the same base fashion that these ruffians and scoundrels, leaving him no better than they.

Imprudently tossing back the contents of his drink in a single hit, he slouched in the booth where Quill had cornered him the night before and scanned the patrons once again, keeping an eye out for their target. His eyes slid from individual to individual before landing on a face he hadn't really expected to see despite the Intelligence report.

A human male; black hair, dark eyes, dressed much like Rex was but in nondescript dark grays, blacks and browns. A man of plain features so forgettable Rex couldn't help but notice him. Especially as the Twi'lek - Ahsoka had called her Ishka - happened to be in his lap for a dance.

Music started, familiar music; music Rex knew would bring Ahsoka out onto the stage for her second solo performance of the night.

He forced himself not to look at the temptation on stage, even though he could visualize it easily, and to instead stay focused on the target. _The mission_, he told himself firmly, watching as the man's eyes were drawn to Ahsoka even with Ishka on his lap. The Twi'lek didn't seem to notice

"I'd say that one would probably meet your price," the waitress caught Rex's attention as she refilled his drink yet again. "He's always looking for a new girl to try."

Rex tossed a couple of credits down on her tray for the information, without looking her way. She shrugged and moved off, Rex letting his eyes wander over the rest of the riveted crowd. Ahsoka was doing her veil dance - seven minutes of sexy, tantalizing reveal which ended with an outfit about as revealing as her normal battle outfit.

He didn't mind the outfit so much as the areas that it hugged; even he, who had never seen her _naked_, had no trouble picturing her as such after this dance.

Watching the men salivate over Ahsoka had him clenching one hand around the lip of the table, the other spread almost casually on the seat beside him; one tense, the other slack, neither expressed the intensity of his revulsion for their disrespect of her.

_Mine_, he found himself thinking as he caught a movement from the corner of his eye. A refocus and he saw the Separatist that was their - Ahsoka's - target speaking with someone… who pointed straight at Ahsoka and then at Rex. He didn't have to see what the other man said, he knew.

_She belongs to him; that's her Hustler._

It was something he felt it more than he saw or heard. The shift in the room's dynamic as attention turned his way and his gaze went to the stage, his jaw clenching as he saw that Ahsoka was still in the midst of her dance and only about half way through. His warrior's instincts were thrown in over drive as adrenaline pulsed through his system, preparing him for a confrontation.

He could _feel_ the eyes on his head; the speculation. The anger; the _envy_.

If they only knew how much agony he was in because of his ethics, his control holding on by a hair's breadth, they wouldn't envy him. _No_, he thought darkly, _they'd have taken advantage of her trust long ago._

Which left _him_ in the here and now; in the role of Hustler and perceived lover, watching as she slowly exposed inch after square inch of Sienna colored skin. From the corner of his eye, he saw the target approach, his attention mostly on Ahsoka as he exhaled softly.

_The mission; keep focused, this is first contact._

Reaching for his glass, Rex winced as his pants pinched him in a tender spot. _This mission, _he thought caustically, trying to get comfortable despite the perpetual ache below his belt, _is going to be the death of me._

* * *

On stage, Ahsoka continued to dance, slowly pulling off veil number five to the catcalls and encouragement of _The Catalyst's _patrons, her smile firmly in place as she considered the implications of what she'd just seen.

Their target was here.

Finally.

He'd been in the audience when she'd stepped on stage, with Ishka in his lap and the man had wandering hands. The Twi'lek looked to have been encouraging the touching, something Ahsoka hadn't considered when she'd initially conceived the dance she'd only ever attempted on Rex.

Rex didn't touch; he clutched the chair beneath him and let her practice. Was he supposed to touch? Her gaze had scanned the rest of the patrons for the other girls she knew to be working the floor. Some had been engaged in offering dances, about half being touched, half not and as Ahsoka had pulled off veil number three, Ishka had finished her dance and turned in the Seppie's lap, staying there for a few moments to nibble on his neck before gaining her feet and moving on.

The Separatist had, as Ahsoka'd pulled off veil number four, visibly been polling those around him and one of the more helpful had pointed her way, drawing her attention, only to then point in Rex's.

_He wants to hire me_, she'd realized with a start and a completely unexpected surge of elation. Not that she found _that_ human attractive - he was no match for Rex's rugged good looks and quirky personality - but the knowledge that she wouldn't have to be the one to make the move, that her prey would come to _her_, was exhilarating.

As she danced, tossing aside veil number five into the audience - which caused a brief kerfuffle - and reaching for veil number six, her target slid into the booth across from Rex. Her routine, practiced daily and sometimes two or three times, was a no brainer as she kept one eye on Rex and the man with him even as she teased the men surrounding the stage where she danced.

Even distracted, she made sure to keep her distance; Rex was preoccupied and she had no desire to be hauled off stage again.

Removing the last veil, Ahsoka held it between her hands, the sheer fabric doing nothing to conceal her scantily clad body beneath as it whipped and snaked about her, sliding over her skin with a softer touch than Rex's calloused hands. She shivered at the thought, one end of the veil escaping her fingers and the improvised, sending it sailing gently to the side as the music changed tempo and she struck her final pose.

The house went crazy, men on their feet, credit chits raining down around her bare feet. As her chest heaved, one arm stretched above her head, her gaze darted to Rex even as she scanned the crowd and offered them a wink and a smile.

He was shaking the hand of their target, a false smile on his normally stoic features, and the nondescript man was moving away. As she stood in her final pose, waiting for the crowd to quiet, Rex's gaze met back to hers. With the slightest of eye movements towards the nondescript human, she asked a non-verbal question and Rex's miniscule shake of the head told her everything she needed to know.

_Not yet; not now._

Twirling lightly in place, she scampered off stage with a saucy smile that drew more cheers as she disappeared into the back.

"Well, well, if it isn't the sexless wonder herself."

Spinning, her smile disappearing, Ahsoka found herself alone and face to face with Zidel and a surge of righteous indignation blindsided her. "If it isn't the biggest slut in the house," the words popped out before she could think about or stop them, "rough night influencing those you can't have, Zidel?"

"I could have any man here," Zidel snapped, "unlike _you_."

"Hear that," Ahsoka cocked her head with a smirk, advancing on the other girl, the cheers having yet to fade behind her. "_That_ is the sound of every male out there wishing he could afford me."

Zidel didn't back down. "That's the sound of every man putting credits into Quill's pockets because your Rex acts more like a possessive, jealous _lover_ than a _Hustler_!"

"Irked you couldn't make him want you, Zi?"

"He wanted me," the Zeltron's answering smile drew Ahsoka up short, the words stinging far more than they should have. "He wanted to pin me down on the table and make me scream."

With an inarticulate cry, Ahsoka grabbed the other dancer by the shoulders and slammed her into the nearest wall, taking them away from the stage and into a nearby alcove.

"Struck a nerve did I?" Violet eyes gleamed with satisfaction even as Ahsoka pinned her to the wall, nails digging into her flesh, and Zidel's smile widened. "I bet he even wanted to _spank_ me; to show me I was a naughty girl while he-"

"You used your pheromones on him," Ahsoka snapped, cutting her off, "you _violated_ him!"

"A girl uses what she has," raking Ahsoka from head to toe, Zidel's look was contemptuous, "in your case, I'm not sure _what_ men see in you; you're all angles and no curves."

"Whereas you're all curves and no brains," leaning in close, Ahsoka barred her teeth at the other dancer, "otherwise your precious Quill wouldn't be trying to trade your favors for mine."

There was a moment of silence as the two women stared at one another and Ahsoka threw Zidel's words back at her, her tone taunting. "Struck a nerve, did I?"

"Quill was mine," Zidel's answer was shakily. "Until you came along, Quill was _mine_!"

"He still is yours; I don't want him."

"When has that ever mattered?" spitefully, Zidel shoved Ahsoka away. "You might not _want_ to share his bed, but you will!"

"Only if Rex agrees."

"If you're going to keep dancing here, he'll have no choice," Ahsoka was surprised to see fear, but not loathing, in the other girl's eyes as she continued, her tone bitter. "Quill will make it a condition of you staying on. He's done it before."

"Rex won't let it happen; he'll move us away first."

"What Hustler doesn't want his girl making nice with the owner of the club he's working?" derision dripped from Zidel's lips.

"One that doesn't see credits as the end all be all!"

Ahsoka's response seemed to make Zidel deflate and she took a step back as Zidel seemed to examine her closely for the first time, as if never having seen her before. "How?"

Waiting to see what quantifier would be put on the end, Ahsoka heard the music begin again as another set began, and furrowed her brow when Zidel didn't seem inclined to continue. "How… _what_?"

"How do you do it?"

"It?" she felt a little ridiculous repeating the Zeltron's words, but Ahsoka couldn't, for the life of her, follow the other woman's train of thought.

"It - keeping him interested; how'd you make him so obsessed with you that he won't even _look_ at a much better endowed and experienced dancer?" Zidel's question was so preposterous, Ahsoka was stunned to silence as she continued and couldn't take offense with the obvious disparagement of her charms.

"What's your secret; how do you keep him interested - how did you make him want to possess you _all_ the time?!"

"He doesn't-"

"Don't lie to me!" There was a desperation in Zidel's tone that hadn't been there before, laced with anger and denial. "We've all seen the way he looks at your when you dance; that hunger, that passion; that single minded obsession - you and _only _you, Kora! So don't lie to me!"

Rex watched her possessively? Obsessively? She tried not to watch him when she was on stage; it unsettled her, the intensity in his gaze, reaching deep within her and making her want to do things that would be... imprudent in their current situation. Not that she hadn't _felt_ his regard; she would have had to be dead not to notice when he was looking at her.

Ahsoka found she had no answer for Zidel - nothing but the truth and _that_ she couldn't afford to give without risking both of their lives. So she lied... sort of. "Rex and I have been together for years, Zidel."

"Your measly handful could never compare to the dozen I've worked for Quill," snapped the Zeltron spitefully, "what have you done; what spell have you cast? Tell me how you keep him so obviously in love with you!"

"Love?" Ahsoka shook her head; Zidel hadn't a clue about love. Not that Ahsoka really did either, but she did know a few fundamentals. "Possession and obsession are not love!"

"You leave with him, alone, every night, Kora and I've seen the way he handles you; like he can't wait to get you alone. You come back with him every night and he _still_ wants more! I _must _know your secret; I have to know what you're doing." Raising one hand, as if to strike, Zidel closed the gap between them. "Tell me what's so special about _you _that your Hustler still loves you and mine doesn't!"

_She's talking about Quill_, Ahsoka realized. Quill's offer to trade Zidel's favors for Ahsoka's had struck a nerve on the spiteful Zeltron. It wouldn't have if Zidel knew she was taking Rex back to their suite, bidding him a chaste goodnight and sleeping apart. She'd probably laugh - if she believed her at all. The last part, about Rex loving her, was dismissed out of hand; her Captain might _want _her, but Ahsoka was under no illusion that he _loved_ her. "I don't manipulate him for starters."

"Manipulation is what we do; we use our bodies and our skills to ensnare men; to drive them crazy so they'll obsess about us. So they'll _want_ us; so they'll give us what we want in return for what they want. In making a man so possessive, so obsessive as your Rex obviously is, you've obviously ensnared his heart."

"Love isn't about possession," Ahsoka protested, taking a step away from the jaded dancer, "it's about sharing, about _being_ with someone; about trust. It's knowing they have your back, even when things look their bleakest; it's about being accepted for who you are, not what you look like what you can do for them or to them!"

"Oh sweetling," Zidel shook her head. "You're still so young in some ways. Men only want us for sex; they will _always_ want us for sex and nothing more."

"Speak for yourself."

"You'd better give up whatever trick it is you've been using to wow your overprotective lover and dazzle Quill and I won't tear your head tails from your skull."

"Try it and you won't walk out of here with fingers."

_"Kora!"_

Staring hard at Zidel, Ahsoka didn't break their eye contact as she answered the stage manager over her shoulder. "Here."

"You're on in... why aren't you changed?"

Giving Zidel one last, contemplative look, Ahsoka turned her back on the other dancer, pitying her for her views on love even as her own definition nagged her. She had no time to dwell on it as she rushed to change for her last act of the night.


	11. Mission: Day Five: Part 2

**Author's Note:** Apparently when I separated these chapters, I missed putting the first part of this one with the last chapter where it belongs, so here's the correction ;) Enjoy!

* * *

_Mission Day Five - Part 2_

"I see one of my more selective friends has been to see you."

Rex somehow managed not to tense as Rhyn settled into the booth across from him for the second night in a row. "I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, Quill; I've spoken with many a man tonight who claims a discounted price for your _close_ and _personal_ friends."

"I trust you've shown your already legendary savvy and not believed a one of them."

Rex nodded once to Rhyn, twisting his glass on the table and waiting, watching him expectantly. He wasn't disappointed.

"Have you given any thought to my proposal?"

"Which one?"

"Which... why, a trade for an evening, my friend! My lovely Zeltron companion, Zi, for your Togrutan savage."

Rex's hand clenched on his thigh, out of sight from Rhyn's line of vision; he'd have given every credit on his person in that moment to be able to put his fist through Rhyn's smiling face. "One thing at a time, Quill. The floor first; then we'll talk."

Rhyn straightened in his seat, a gleam Rex couldn't quite identify in his eyes. "When?"

"Soon." Rex nodded towards where Ahsoka's target was sitting across the room. "The man's partial to lap dances; made me an offer on Kora I couldn't refuse."

"Did he now?" Rhyn's expression turned almost devious, putting Rex on guard. "Did you not say that the night your Kora works the floor for the first time, she would be mine?"

He had. Despite the fact that Rex knew it would never come to pass, bile rose in the back of his throat with the thought and his blood boiling with the heated _lust_ in the other man's eyes. _Mine_, his every instinct was screaming. _Ahsoka is _mine_! You can't have her! Don't _deserve_ her!_

The image of planting the fist he wished in Rhyn's face was quick on the heels of his inner denial and sending the widely smirking pervert to the ground. It was followed by the pleasant fantasy of grabbing Rhyn by the throat, his fingers digging into the flesh around his Adams apple as he dragged the older man across the table.

He could picture the smirk disappearing off that distinguished visage as he flipped Rhyn on his back and clenched his fist around the soft, vulnerable goiter and _squeezed_. He could _feel_ it pop within the palm of his hand as he applied just _enough_ pressure, leaving Rhyn gasping and dying on the table top.

The image morphed to Rhyn standing before him, laughing, leering at Ahsoka, reaching for her. Rex, free to act, reaching out to grab the cantina owner's hand, bending it backwards with a flick of his wrist and breaking the man's thumb and driving him to his knees.

Starting with that thumb, Rex could picture himself laying down the law, _explaining_ why Rhyn wasn't good enough to touch the tips of Ahsoka's toes. Finger by broken finger, he enjoyed Rhyn's screams for mercy. Mercy which wouldn't be given until he recanted every impure thought, every dirty word uttered about Ahsoka and her person.

The manager, Rex knew without a doubt, would have been dead or unconscious long before finishing his confession.

Rex said none of what he was feeling, what he was thinking. Instead, he focused on the pleasant image of the other man begging for mercy and managed to find a half-way believable smile; one that barred his teeth as he kept the irritation from his voice. "I did."

"Excellent! Tomorrow night then." Slapping one hand down on the table, Rhyn made a motion with the other and a waitress came over with drinks. Rhyn placed one before Rex and took the other, lifting it in a toast. "To tomorrow; I look forward to enjoying the delectable secrets of your young Togrutan playmate. To a profitable business arrangement for us both!"

Rex had no choice but to accept the drink and lift it to clink the rim to Rhyn's. "To business," he agreed, his smile gone. Rhyn didn't notice as he tipped back his drink, leading Rex to do the same, the liquor burning a path down his throat to his stomach. It threatened to rebel and Rex clamped his jaw shut.

Fortunately, Rhyn didn't seem to notice as he pushed away from the table with a smile. "A pleasure doing business with you, Rex. Make sure she gets lots of rest tonight," the last was thrown over Rhyn's shoulder, "between working the floor and being in my bed, she won't be getting any tomorrow!"

The only downside to Rhyn leaving, was that it left Rex alone with his thoughts, Ahsoka with one last dance, and the feeling that things, for all they seemed to be falling into place, were about to get even more complicated.

* * *

"Did you hear them tonight, Rex?" Ahsoka hung her wrap on the back of the nearby chair and twirled in place with a grin she couldn't keep off her lips, energized by the upbeat feel that had wrapped her within its collective grasp as she'd left the stage for the last time that night. "I had the whole house on its feet!"

"Even the target."

She spun at his grim tone, her smile dying, feeling as if he'd taken the air from her lungs. "Even the target," looking at him, she noted immediately he wasn't sharing her elation, "Is that a problem, Rex? I was _trying_ to get his attention."

"You could enjoy it a little less."

"Excuse me?" She gaped at him. "I'm not the one who had a professional dancer in his lap with her hand down the front of his pants!"

"That wasn't my fault."

"I know," Ahsoka exhaled with a wince, holding up both hands to forestall whatever he might answer, "I'm sorry, Rex. I just… seeing you with Zidel like that yesterday and then her wild accusations tonight, I-"

"What accusations?"

"She… insinuated that because you keep watching me with this intense - she called it an obsessive possessiveness - you won't share me."

Rex went very still for a fraction of a moment before turning away to hang his coat; the move made her frown.

"Rex?"

"Did she say anything else?"

"Like what?"

He paused and then turned back her way, the momentary stillness all the more noticeable after his uncharacteristic dodge.

"Like _what_, Rex?"

"Anything about our charade," he finally offered, his tone and expression neutral and completely at odds with the tension she could see in his frame. "About Hustlers or Coquettes?"

"Just that your obsession with me had to be because of something I did exclusively for you. She seemed to think that the obsession she perceived, your desire to possess me, meant you were in love with me. She… wanted to know my trick for keeping you interested for so long." Rex's eyebrows rose, his only response as she continued. "I think she wanted to know as a way to win back Quill."

"A waitress commented on it to me." Rex's abrupt statement caught her off guard.

"What kind of comment?"

"About the fact I won't haggle for the cost of your charms," his eyes blazed with something she couldn't quiet identify, "and how a Hustler would normally lower their asking price if no one would meet it."

Ahsoka's eyes widened. "She… that's not good, Rex." Frowning, she considered him, "maybe… you should consider it?"

"No." He stepped close to her, eyes still blazing with what she could only call blood lust. "As far as I'm concerned, my asking price is too _low_."

"Obviously not, or I'd be swimming in customers."

Her attempt at humor fell flat as Rex seemed to struggle with himself before lifting his hand to touch his finger tips to her cheek. "Any man, any _male_, of any species who wants a chance with you, has to go through me first; I won't stand aside, Ahsoka."

There was something _intense_ and _visceral_ behind his words that reflected in his eyes and she reached up to cover his hand with hers, pressing it to her cheek. "I don't want you to."

She _felt_ the impact of her words as they seemed to ripple through his arm and down into his body, making his tremble, a soft, strangled sound coming from his throat. His hand tensed under hers, though he applied no pressure to her face, stepping towards her, pressing against her with such delicious friction she shivered. His hand slipped to the side, as if making to withdraw, and Ahsoka let out a hiss as her own pressed it unintentionally against the sensitive curve of her lekku.

They both stilled and Rex, to her surprise, turned his attention to the responsive appendage. Her hand on the back of his, his calloused fingertips traversed the firm, veined surface from her cheek upwards, towards the curve of her montrals. It was a caress that caught her breath in her throat and sent a spiral of new heat and _want_ arcing through her veins. Her heart raced.

He watched her intently, she could feel it even as her eyelids fluttered closed, tilting her chin just enough to give him an easier access to the sensitive flesh.

Rex didn't disappoint her as her hand slipped to his wrist and forearm, his fingers spreading wide on the curve of her skull and then traveling downwards. The caress brought her to her toes, pressing upwards and towards it in an attempt to encourage _more_ friction, more pressure; Rex seemed to understand her unspoken plea.

Growling back in her throat, Ahsoka let out a gasp as he grasped the sensitive and sensitized lekku in his hand, wrapping his fingers about it for the first time as his hand dipped to chin height. The roughness of his hand should have been unpleasant, but Ahsoka found it anything but. The contrast to her smooth skin was turning her to mush, making her knees weak and she clutched him for balance. Her nails dug into his bare wrist as her other hand closed about his opposite bicep, her body curving into his even as she struggled to remain upright.

"Rex-"

His hand stilled on her lekku, making her whimper and then cry out when his fingers flexed, her knees buckling. Rex's free arm wrapped around her waist, catching her, pulling her that fraction closer, her heart leaping against his. Her eyes drifted open, her thoughts a jumble as her gaze careened back to his.

Slowly, his hand drew downwards, his forearm a comforting band of durasteel across her back, tight and hard, just shy of pleasurably painful.

There was no thought of moving away, not a single moment given to escape. Ahsoka was where she wanted to be; in Rex's arms, his eyes blazing with an intensity that reached straight to the tips of the toes holding her weight, fully confident he wouldn't hurt her. The predator within her rebelled even as it capitulated. Caught by her chosen mate, submitting to his strength, her breath caught and she waited for what came next.

_It's about trust._

Her own words echoed in her head, zipping suddenly through the speech she'd used to contradict Zidel on possession and obsession. It was only then that Ahsoka understood what she felt for Rex.

_Love._

_I love Rex._

The impact of the realization was like being able to see after being in a dark room or suddenly being able to sense the spatial difference around her after being under the cowl of her Jedi cloak. It was disorienting and liberating kind of experience.

_I'm in love with Rex._

Rex's fingers slowly closed towards a fist as they slid with agonizing slowness down her lekku, the rasp of his skin against hers more than a touch; more than a caress. It was as if he'd reached within her, stroking the fibers of her heart, her very soul, and she was drowning in the amber honey of his eyes.

"Ahsoka..."

His head dipped as she whimpered, tilting her face to his, her nails digging into his flesh -

- and he stopped, straightening as his hand fell away from her lekku.

Rex was suddenly tense, his expression hard and she struggled to pull herself from the mire of emotional revelation that had caught her. He was distant suddenly, emotionally so, and it helped clear her head with alarming speed.

"Rex?"

"We... have to talk strategy."

She blinked, completely taken aback by his slightly strangled switch back to business. "We…" she reeled with the change, her own voice hoarse. "_Now_?"

"The target has been sighted. We can't lose sight of our goal." His statement was at odds with their current position.

She could still feel every inch of him pressed against her from chest to thigh; feel the pulse of his life's blood, her own continuing to shimmer through her veins like molten lava. Slowly, ever so slowly, she lowered herself from the tips of her toes to being flat footed, the agonizing slide of her bare skin exposed by the dancing costume against the leather of his only serving to remind her just how little stood between them.

A shudder wracked her and Rex's arm at her back tightened, seemingly unintentionally - but she was grateful he didn't let her go. If he had, she suspected she would have melted down the full length of his body to pool at his feet. Swallowing hard, she adjusted her hands so they gripped both of his biceps, feeling the flexed muscles bunch tightly.

"We-"

"Rex; please," cutting him off, she tilted her head forward to rest against his collarbone, closing her eyes as she struggled to collect herself. "I need a minute."

"I-"

_"Please!"_

To be taken from such an intense physical encounter back to the business at hand so abruptly, she wasn't above begging. She also wasn't sure how he did it. Still pressed against him, she knew he wasn't unaffected; his heartbeat was faster than normal, his body a solid wall of muscle and sinew that seemed to pulsate with every breath.

Rex, thankfully, did as she asked, giving her a few moments to recover. It was only when she finally lifted her head, her eyes seeking his, that he spoke again - and it wasn't what she wanted to discuss.

"We _need _to complete this mission tomorrow, Ahsoka."

"I know that."

"No," he returned sharply. "You don't. We _have_ to complete this."

"Rex, I _do_ know; I'm only going to get one shot at this, remember?" Giving his shoulders a push, she took a step back. It left her feeling bereft when he let her go, only to catch her when she stumbled, her legs still not quite steady. "I know what tomorrow's about; I know the parameters of this mission as well as-

"Quill thinks that you're going to share his bed at the end of the night."

Silence fell between them as he broke in and Ahsoka stared at him incredulously.

"He _what_?" Taking another step back, her legs bumped the edge of one of the chairs and she sank gratefully into it, searching Rex's partially shadowed features in the dim lighting of the room. _"Why?"_

Rex rubbed one hand over his face. "I had to give a reason why I wouldn't let you work the floor until the Seppie arrived."

"What does that have to do with me… with…" shaking her head, she couldn't find the words. Thinking about it, dreaming about it, _sharing_ with Rex like that was one thing, but she couldn't fathom _ever_ doing the same with the suave owner of _The Catalyst_. It gave her chills and left her cold. "What did you tell him?"

"What he needed to hear. The night after you were pulled off stage, I spoke with Quill. He wanted to…" Rex's expression hardened. "He wanted to _sample_ the merchandise."

"Me."

He nodded.

"And you told him what exactly?"

"That I didn't trust his security to keep you safe and he would be able to have you the night you worked the floor for the first time."

"Which is tomorrow."

Rex nodded again.

"He won't wait for the end of the night."

"I know."

Ahsoka swallowed hard. "Well, at least it deflects the suspicion, right? Quill thinks he's going to get a chance to… to have me and everyone will see me work the floor to make you a few credits while _I_ am completing our mission and lifting the data crystal off the Seppie." She smiled, but it was a sickly one as she wrapped her arms about her waist, suddenly cold. "A win-win situation all around, right?"

"He'll never touch you."

"He may have to, Rex; I'll be in his lap."

"Quill," Rex growled the name, his hands clenching. "_Quill_ will never touch you."

Relief coursed through her, though she knew they'd be long gone before _The Catalyst's _owner ever discovered their deception. Trepidation followed swiftly on its heels; for all _Quill _would never touch her, the truth couldn't be said for her target. She'd seen Ishka's dance; she knew he was likely to take liberties. The whole charade would be blown if he touched her somewhere she'd never been touched before and she reacted badly. "Did you see Ishka's dance for the Seppie, Rex?"

"His eyes barely left _you_."

"I know, but did you see his hands?" Swallowing hard, she forged ahead before he could answer. "If he touches me the way he touched Ishka-"

"I'll break every finger he has in three places."

"And blow our cover," Ahsoka shook her head, wishing he was beside her, holding her again, but knowing it was probably best he wasn't. He turned, walking two steps away before turning back her way, one hand reaching out to grip the back of the chair at the table across the room. "Whatever he does, you _can't_ react, Rex."

"It's a dance," Rex snarled, glaring at her as if it were her fault. They were several dozen feet apart, but Ahsoka felt his fury as if he were before her with bare inches to spare. "He shouldn't have to touch!"

Leaping to her feet, she faced off with him. "Do you think I want him to? Do you think I want the first time someone… someone touches me like _that_ to be a stranger? A _Separatist_ spy? I… What else can I do, Rex? Tell me; tell me how else I can accomplish this mission and I'll do it!"

They stared at one another across the room for a few moments which quickly turned into minutes, Ahsoka desperately wishing there was some other option. Her revelation of what she felt for Rex left her with a sick feeling in her stomach when she thought of having to endure the touch of the Separatist. Not just endure, but _encourage_, it.

Ahsoka didn't want to dance for anyone but Rex; to be touched by anyone but him and their mission parameters called for exactly that… and Rex didn't have a better solution than what they'd already been given. Forcing the words past her lips, Ahsoka tilted her head at a stubborn angle, the knowledge that she was going to be forced to go through with the charade wounding her deeply. She hoped he couldn't read it in her eyes.

"There's nothing else we can do," her voice wavered and cracked. If she had Master Obi-Wan's talents at mind control, she might have tried something different, but the scene had already been set and she would be forced to see it through to the bitter end. "We were given an assignment. A mission. It's… it's our _duty_ to see it through to the end." At Rex's abrupt nod, she squared her shoulders. "Do you have a plan?"

To her disappointment, he did.

* * *

Rex stayed where he was, away from Ahsoka, lest he do something foolish - like reach for her again - as he explained the simplest way for her to approach her target.

The alcohol he'd consumed earlier buzzed through his veins, lending the whole experience a surreal feel that didn't seem real. He couldn't credit the memory of having held her in his arms bare minutes ago, flush against him. Didn't believe his senses had correctly registered her body arching into his as he'd explored the curves and valleys of her montrals and lekku as he'd always dreamed of doing.

She sat as he spoke, watching him with a luminescent gaze that seemed to be slightly glazed.

Later, he'd recall what he said to her. It was his plan after all, but in the moment, he could do little more than focus on the fact that the only thing stopping him from going to her was his grip on the back of a chair, the wood biting into his hand to help keep him focused. Without it, he'd have been beside her in a heartbeat, declaring the mission over and the hell with the information they needed to get all in the interest of wiping the stricken, dreadful look from her eyes.

_The mission_, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered, _this is why you're here; this mission. Get the crystal and get gone; get back to the _Resolute_ and resume living the life that makes sense._

Except it was a life where Ahsoka wouldn't be sleeping in the next room or practicing her dance moves on him. There would be no more sharing a room, away from prying eyes with absolute and complete privacy. His life wouldn't include illicit touches or waking up with her draped across his body; being able to hold her close without his armor in the way or being able to dip his head and kiss her when the whim struck.

His life was one of rigid structure and regulation where anything he'd learned over the course of the last week would be rendered obsolete. His time with Ahsoka would be carefully controlled and regimented. Limited to briefing and debriefings and the occasional walk or discussion.

It sounded familiar; like home... and like hell.

How he could ever go back to it after what they'd been through? He wasn't sure; all he knew was that, somehow, they would have to.

His liquor addled brain, however, was no longer just whispering about the mission and its conclusion. It was now tantalizing him with the very real possibility that this was the last night that he and Ahsoka would have alone together. It was whispering suggestions he'd been fighting a losing battle against for the last six days; he just hadn't been able to bring himself to admit it.

_You want her_, the voice whispered as Ahsoka bowed her head to his plan, her fingers curling about the lip of the chair.

He couldn't remember what he'd just said to make her shoulders slump like that and her single, sharp nod indicated she wasn't thrilled with his statement but agreed with it. Her head came up, her brilliant cyan irises shining with a series of conflicting emotions.

Yet… even still he could see the banked remnants of the heat that had leapt between them.

_She wants you._

The reminder of that knowledge was immediate, his hand tightening around the chair like the life line it was. If she touched him in that moment, he'd have been lost; helpless to do more than follow the temptation through to its logical conclusion. A conclusion that would have cost them both their honor - but she didn't approach him.

Getting to her feet, Ahsoka headed straight for the bedroom, her shoulders hunched. Helpless to comfort her, for he didn't trust himself, he was powerless to offer any words of assurance as she reached the doorway. He must have spoken for she stopped, turned to look at him and offered him the smallest of smiles and a nod.

Seconds later he was alone with the door closed between them and a hand that ached from too much pressure around an unforgiving surface. His hand tingled, not feeling like his own, and the impression of soft, supple flesh under his fingertips resurfaced.

Lost in the mire of his alcoholic haze, Rex stood staring at the door behind which Ahsoka lay for who knew how long. Reliving the moments where he'd held her lekku in his hand and torturing himself with the sensations. Eventually, he marshaled the cognitive ability to pull himself together and occupy the chair she'd vacated. Settling into it, he slid down, stretching his legs out in front of him, and tilted his head against the back.

Their mission was coming to fruition and he, in all his whiskey soaked wisdom, found himself looking for a way to extend it. A way that would allow the shift in his relationship with Ahsoka, for there had been one, to continue and evolve and blossom into something that resembled his fantasies.

Despite their circumstances, despite the hardships and the perpetual ache that was his personal burden to bear, Rex found himself staring at the ceiling and lamenting the fact everything would be ending so soon.


	12. Mission: Day Six: Part 1

**Author's Note: **We're coming into the home stretch as this is the last mission day and then a brief post mission sequence which leads directly into **Journey of Revolution **by **emjalen**

We're about 14k away from the end of this story so buckle up; time to turn this up a notch!

* * *

_Mission Day Six - Part 1_

The fast burning clone metabolism was both a blessing and a curse. It was early morning when Rex felt finally to be in control of himself once more, the haze of the alcoholic stupor dissipating with the same kind of whisper that it had struck. Clarity brought with it the memories of the night before but also the urgent need to use the 'fresher; a 'fresher that was behind the closed door to the bedroom where Ahsoka lay.

He waited as long as he could before pushing to his feet from the chair where he'd spent another series of long, sleepless hour; torturing himself with images of what would never be but unable to help himself. No matter how firmly he told himself that Ahsoka was not his to have, the knowledge that she _wanted_ him undid his logic.

Was he fighting against something he should be allowing to follow through to its natural conclusion? Was he fighting them both - for Ahsoka certainly wasn't the one pulling away when things got heavy - for nothing?

His body protested as he gained his feet, the room spinning a little as his stomach threatened to rebel; not a pleasant feeling in counterpoint to the head ache behind his eyes. Pressing personal needs, however, propelled him across the room. Approaching the door, he placed one hand against the panel and knocked, rapping lightly with his knuckles; if she was sleeping, he had no desire to wake her.

"Ahsoka?" he winced at the rawness in his lowered voice, opening the door a crack and cautiously peaking in.

The sound of her breathing reached him before he could spy her still sleeping form amidst the ocean of fabric and pillows in the large bed. Faint light penetrated the room, casting shadows, but Rex couldn't take his gaze off the young woman who'd come to occupy his every waking moment.

She slept fitfully, restlessly, her head turning this way and that on her pillow but, unlike the night before, her dreams didn't appear to be about _him_ this time.

Pressing the door open further, Rex stepped inside, fighting against the need to go to her, his body's pressing and insistent need to _go _winning out. He crossed to the 'fresher, wincing as his tread sounded through the plush carpet. Casting one last look at Ahsoka's lined expression, he disappeared inside the 'fresher and closed the door behind him.

* * *

She was trapped and hands she didn't know were on her body.

They were sliding over her exposed stomach and dipping down over her thighs with a familiarity that made her skin crawl. Attempting to close her legs, she found them stuck, spread, held in place by the open knees of the man in whose lap she sat. The heavy, heady beat of the music in the background was at odds with the darkness that seemed to leave her alone with the male. The hard ridge of an erection against her backside made her shift away only to be gripped tightly, high up on the thighs, and pulled backwards.

An indistinct voice ordered her to move; ordered her to dance.

He wanted his credits worth.

_Rex!_

The thought was immediate as she cast about for him, struggling against the hold of the one that held her, tearing his hands from her flesh as panic began to set in. She succeeded in breaking free of the controlling hands only to trip up, rolling and falling, the weight of the male coming down atop her and pinning her in place.

She tried to reach for the Force only to find it elusive and beyond her grasp. Kicking out, she struggled against the hold. Finding herself pinned, her movements restricted as a cackle of a laugh echoed about her, her captor enjoying her reaction; delighting in the desire to make her scream.

_Rex!_

_"Ahsoka!"_

_His_ touch drew her around, her eyes connecting with the concerned honey of his, and with an inarticulate cry, she somehow propelled herself from her stomach and into his arms. "Don't let him touch me," she gasped, begging as she clung to him, her face buried in the side of his neck, her lips flush against his skin. "Rex; please… I don't want- _don't let him touch me_!"

His arms folded about her instantly as she shivered, waiting for the strange man to return and make good on his promise…

Nothing happened.

Rex's hands were on her bare flesh, stroking with long, slow motions of reassurance from the base of her neck to her lower back. His calloused fingertips made her shiver, his soldier's hands familiar and calming as his lips pressed against her temple and he murmured against her skin.

"You're dreaming, Ahsoka; no one has touched you," the soothing echo of his tone reverberated within her and had a greater impact than the words themselves, "no one but me. I won't let anything happen to you."

His presence negated the nightmare and reality asserted itself and Ahsoka found sensation returning. The twist of the sheets around her legs had equated to being unable to run in her dream but that was overshadowed by the realization that the _imagined _comfort of Rex's arms was actually the real thing. She trembled in his embrace as his hand slid under her _lek_ and his fingers rubbed small circles at the base of her neck.

"I won't let anything happen to you," his voice was rough as he repeated the low vow, "I promise, Ahsoka; you're safe. No one can hurt you; no one can touch you."

Swallowing hard, she found her voice. "Except you."

Rex's hand stilled where it was and he lifted his head as she lifted hers. Caught close to his chest, she was sideways in his lap - exactly where she'd thrown herself in her dream. How much of it had been real? Apprehensively, she lifted her eyes to his.

"I would… _never_ do anything to hurt you, Ahsoka."

"You already did."

"When?"

"Earlier… this whole week, I…" she hesitated and couldn't bring herself to tell him how she felt when she couldn't be certain he'd reciprocate. How could he love her when she was his Commander? If she said anything, he'd probably feel obligated to say it back and that would only make it worse. "You keep… pulling away, Rex."

"We have a mission to accomplish, Ahsoka," his tone was kind despite the admonishment, concern lacing his words, "I didn't think…" he paused, shaking his head and trying again. "It's not appropriate; regulations-"

"Don't mean anything here; it's just you and me, Rex. Look at us; what about _this_ is appropriate?"

He frowned, following her line of sight downwards and a bloom of color graced his prominent cheek bones. Ahsoka knew what he saw. Scantily clad with little more than a filmy night dress and his shirt between them. Her arms twined around his neck and laced together at the back. His hands curved intimately around her body. They were curled almost comfortably into a position that would never have been permitted, never would have been _possible_, on the _Resolute_.

Despite her challenge and his visible discomfort, Ahsoka was relieved when he didn't withdraw. Her voice shook. "We're on our own. Just you and me. We can't rely on regulations to see us through this; there aren't any. We just... we have to _feel_ our way through this."

As she spoke, Ahsoka curled her fingers against the back of his neck, her nails gently scraping his skin and making him shudder. She felt it, pressed as she was against him and curled in his lap, but didn't stop. Searching his gaze, her mouth went dry and she licked her lips only to stop when Rex's eyes dropped to them. With agonizing slowness, they lifted back to hers and her heart leapt as she caught the banked fires within for a fraction of a second before Rex closed the distance between them.

His lips were warm, soft, and he tasted like the paste they used on their teeth. She caught the barest hint before he pulled away, lifting one hand to cup her cheek, his thumb running over her lower lip. A half smile slowly appeared on his face. "I don't have your advantage at feeling."

"It's not a Jedi thing, Rex. It's about trust. About knowing... _knowing_ you have my back and I have yours. It's... about sharing and understanding and..." _love_. She wanted to say it; it was on the tip of her tongue, but she choked, trailing off as her throat closed.

"...and being accepted for who you are no matter the circumstance."

Nodding, she agreed for it was true even if it hadn't been exactly what she'd been intending to say. Somehow she was able to ignore the surge of disappointment she felt that he hadn't said what she'd been thinking.

Rex's thumb moved back and forth across her lip with agonizing slowness, her lips tingling from the combined assault of his kiss and now his touch, a knot of heat and want tightening low in her belly. Her tongue darted out to touch the pad of his thumb, stilling it, but Ahsoka found she had no voice.

"You were dreaming."

She nodded.

"A nightmare."

She nodded again, the images and sensations barely shadows of a memory, washed away in the comfort of his presence. Safe within the warmth of his embrace, the nightmare no longer seemed real.

His brow furrowed. "You begged me not to let him touch you, Ahsoka."

A moment's hesitation and she nodded a third time, this time slower, as Rex shifted his thumb to her cheek. The memory of her dream, distant thought it was, seemed to need to be acknowledged even if she didn't want it to be. When she was silent for far longer than she knew she should have been, his expression turned worried.

Her lips parted, but what emerged was barely a whisper as he seemed inclined to distance himself. "Rex-"

She swallowed hard and jerked her head in an affirmative answer to his question, the clench in her stomach no longer anticipatory as his words triggered a deeper connection to the images. Her fingers flexed and she knew she tensed, but she couldn't help it. The very idea that _anyone _else would touch her the way Rex held her now was… abhorrent. A shiver raced through her that had nothing to do with his closeness.

Rex seemed to be waiting for her to say something and Ahsoka forced herself to speak. "I don't want him touching me."

He tilted his forehead to hers. "I know."

Silence stretched between them as she felt the inexplicable sting of tears when he went no further; when he made no mention of the same. Closing her eyes as much against tears the intent look in his, she sucked in a shuddering breath. "Hold me," she begged softly, "tonight; today. Don't… don't let the nightmares come back."

Pulling her close, he used the hand on her face to tuck her head close to his shoulder. His lips pressed against the closest montral even as his fingers slid down around her jaw to feather the column of her neck in a comforting caress. "They can't hurt you, Ahsoka," he assured her softly. "I won't let them."

Aching with the tender way he held her, Ahsoka adjusted her grip on him, and his grip on her, twining her fingers through the ones at her waist and pulling it upwards. His forearm fit snugly under her left arm, his hand intertwined with hers where it lay over her heart.

_This is where I belong, _curled against him, safe and protected, it was her last thought as she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

It was both the longest and shortest day of Rex's life.

The longest because of his current position; Ahsoka was curled trustingly in his lap, her head against his shoulder, one of his hands cupping her face but caught between her lekku and her cheek. The other was curled around her body, tight against her chest, held in place against the swell of her bosom by her own hand.

It was an inappropriate position, cupping her that way, but when he tried to move, she whimpered, her body tensing. He managed to adjust his position so he could lean against the head board only after many long, agonizingly small shifts. Each time he moved, a sound of distress passed her lips, as if she were afraid he was going to leave. It felt like a blow to his chest, each more painful than the last, every time she did; a persistent ache in the vicinity of his heart.

Fortunately, she would settle quickly as he murmured reassurances to her, brushing his thumb over the softness of her skin at cheek, jaw and lip. Tender and protective like he'd never before felt or expressed, he was held in thrall by the magnitude of actions he couldn't fully comprehend.

It was also the shortest day of his life because he wanted to prolong this; to prolong the feel of her curled against him, touching _only_ him. He knew what was coming later that night and the thought was sickening, creating a fire of a different kind within him. A jealous reaction he only recognized because of Ahsoka's reaction to Zidel. He didn't want anyone else touching her either and, because of that, the hours passed with enough swiftness that he silently railed against the numbers on the chrono, willing them to slow and stop.

It was no surprise when they didn't, but minute by minute, hour by hour, Rex could feel his time with Ahsoka slipping away.

The later it got, the closer it came to the time where she would have to don the last of her costumes and willingly submit and encourage the touch of another man. His hands tightened on her unconsciously and she sighed in her sleep, murmuring his name, pressing the hand at her breast into a conforming cup.

Rex swallowed hard, closing his eyes against the _feel_, and struggled to remind himself that this was temporary. Today would be the last time he'd ever hold her like this. This would be the last time she would be in his arms; the last time he would be free to touch her without prying eyes.

Once they had the data crystal, a signal could be sent using the encoded frequency he had memorized. The _Resolute_ would land and they'd be collected and go back to their normal lives.

Lives that weren't anything like this last week; ones didn't include the privilege to touch her.

She shifted in his grasp, moving against his lap in an attempt to get comfortable, shivering a little. He stroked her cheek gently, his lips against her montral and sliding slowly downwards, stopping as they brushed the smooth skin of her forehead.

_Ahsoka._

For she was _Ahsoka_.

Not Ahsoka the Jedi Padawan apprenticed to his General or Ahsoka the Commander of the five hundred and first; just _Ahsoka_ and everything her name encompassed. Friend. Commander. Padawan. Partner. She was strong and feisty; sweet and caring; she was the embodiment of everything good and right in his life…

… and he would miss this.

Despite what would happen later that night, everything that had occurred until this moment, he realized with shocking clarity, was a raw sharing and brutal, novel kind of honesty between them. One he'd never been exposed to before; one that he wasn't sure he'd ever be exposed to again. He would miss that most of all; knowing she was holding back because he had to hold back.

It was time to wake her before he knew it, the numbers on the chrono passing mid-afternoon, Ahsoka having curled her knees under his elbow, her complete weight in his lap. His legs were numb, his fingers cramping, but Rex wouldn't have been anywhere else for the world. It felt _right_ to be where he was, protecting her, sheltering her from her nightmares and the darkness beyond them.

That would all change the moment he woke her and Rex found he was loathe to do so. He had to wake her… had to disrupt her peaceful slumber and drag her back into the mire of their mission. Two minutes, then five, passed as he gently stroked his thumb across her cheek bone, listening to her breathe softly.

_The mission_, he reminded himself silently, but it didn't have the same effect it had thus far. _We need to finish this mission; thousands, _millions_ of lives are depending on us._ The last was enough to press the necessity into the forefront of his mind and with a soft sigh, he shifted his position, brushing his fingers against her cheek.

"Ahsoka."

Her brow furrowed as her breathing changed.

"Ahsoka," he pulled his hand away from her face, his fingers cracking as he made a fist and released it to get the blood flowing again. "Wake up."

"Mmm… no."

Her sleepy denial made him smile. "Yes."

"No," she turned her head a little towards him, a smile curving her lips. "I'm having the _best_ dream."

Rex chuckled. "Really?"

"Mmm hmm," she nuzzled his shirt, her fingers flexing on his, pressing his hand flush against the filmy material of her nightgown and sliding it in a slow, intimate circle. "Don't wake me."

He stilled, trying to remove his hand, but she refused to relinquish it. "Ahsoka. Let me go."

Her eyes opened slowly, her head tilting back until their eyes locked, and Rex caught his breath at the storm within hers that was at odds with her previously playful comment. "Never," she whispered seriously. "Touch me, Rex."

"I-"

Her fingers flexed on his, stopping him cold, the weight within his palm both soft and firm; pliant yet responsive. "Touch me," she reiterated and he could see desperation in her eyes this time, "I want you to."

"I already am."

Her fingers released his slowly, as if she weren't certain his would stay. Their eyes locked, he left his hand where it was, sliding his thumb down and over in a way that made her gasp. Tenderness swamped him at the vulnerable look in her eyes and he lowered his head, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. A kiss she returned as her now free hand slid around his neck.

He deliberately kept the kiss brief, not wanting to but knowing he had to. This mission was about more than just them and they had to see it through to the end. He didn't like it any more than she did and, as he lifted his head, he stroked her one last time before gently, reluctantly, sliding his hand down to the curve of her waist.

Swallowing hard, he forced the words he didn't want to say past his lips. "It's time. We have to get ready."

"Now?"

Looking to the chrono, he waited as she followed his gaze and felt her sag in his embrace.

The inevitability of that night was upon them and it was time to face it.

He turned his gaze back to hers, lifting his free hand to brush the back of his index finger over her cheek. "You'll be spectacular, Ahsoka," the thumb of the hand at her waist, gently stroked high on her torso, brushing the under curve of her breast and making her shiver. It was the most he would allow himself. "You always are."

"Really?"

Nodding, he offered her a slow half smile. "Really."

She stared at him, clinging a little, before he saw her tilt her chin just so and flash him a grin. "Thanks Rex. I guess… I'd better get ready."

He let her go as she slid from his lap, untangling her legs from the covers and rolling off the bed. Rex, honorable as he was, still couldn't help but watch her as she stood and made her way to the 'fresher.

The length of her bare legs to where they disappeared under the hem of her short, nearly sheer nightdress with the fabric clinging lovingly to the curves of her backside was a visual feast he couldn't resist. The strip of fabric covered her from high on her thighs to the small of her back and then disappeared completely, leaving the strong lines of her back bare to his gaze, covered only by the _lek_ which lay along her spine and the shoulder straps holding the creation in place.

It wasn't until she was gone that he let his head fall back against the wall, the blood rushing into his legs and making his feet tingle and burn with an unfamiliar round of sensations. He welcomed it; it was a distraction he needed as he flexed his toes and got the blood flowing again, the ache in his groin ever present. Why couldn't _that_ have gone numb?

Rex sighed, flexing his fingers, joints crackling as he reassured himself that everything still worked in an attempt to distract from the real issue. From the fact that, bare hours from now, Ahsoka was going to have to get up on stage and perform. Not just perform, but eventually climb down to find her target and, in the guise of a _lap dance_, search every pocket he had for the data crystal.

She would have to touch the Separatist and the Seppie would undoubtedly take that as an invitation to touch her.

His hands clenched into fists just with the thought and Rex realized _his _greatest trial was ahead. Tonight was going to be a test of every discipline he'd ever had. _For the mission_, he reminded himself, _for the millions this can save_.

It was a rhetoric that was getting old.

* * *

Ahsoka closed her eyes as she tilted her face to the shower's spray. The nerves in her belly were only partly to do with the fact that tonight she'd be performing a dance she'd only previously attempted on Rex.

Rex had touched her.

True, she'd woken to find that her own hand had all but kept his an intimate captive for who knew how many hours of the day, but when she'd released him it had stayed. Wrapping her arms about her own middle, she hugged the knowledge close, still imagining she could feel the imprint of it.

A giddy feeling swelled within her that had nothing to do with the impending performance and everything to do with Rex himself.

The feeling lasted until she was washed and emerged to find the bedroom deserted. Stretching out with the Force, she took a step back. Reaching out to the nearby wall to steady herself upon encountering the tumultuous maelstrom that was Rex's emotional stability. Her euphoric feeling of _progress_ melted away under his darker feel.

Conflict was the only way she could describe it and she had to withdraw quickly lest she be carried along.

The casualty of the encounter was her good mood and positive outlook as she forced herself to open her wardrobe and go through the outfits she had left to her; the only ones she'd not yet worn. Her own thoughts turning fully to the night ahead, she shuddered as she considered what was ahead of them before the completion of their mission.

Wishing she had the time to dawdle, but knowing she didn't, Ahsoka pulled the last of the costumes from the hangars and threw them on the bed. Determined to see this through to the bitter end and knowing that - no matter how he felt - Rex would back her up, she set about putting together the last sequence of her charade. A charade that would either prove to be worthy of all the heartache and frustration they'd been through the last week and save millions… or a giant waste of time.

Ahsoka could only hope, and trust in the Force, that it was the former.

* * *

Their walk to _The Catalyst _was a silent one, Ahsoka following along behind Rex as was fit for her station, her eyes looking neither left nor right as she sought the calm that had never eluded her before.

Before leaving the suite, they'd said nothing personal to one another, just a simple check to ensure the other was ready and hadn't forgotten anything. There was no guarantee they'd be able to go back once they'd accomplished their mission and they'd planned accordingly.

Fortunately, having arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs, it was easy to leave with the same. Hers, admittedly, was more than a little different than what she'd arrived in, and Rex dressed from head to toe in black rather than brown. Part of her idly wondered what the men of their company would think, but the thought passed quickly, her attention focused instead on the upcoming hours.

They loomed before her like a chasm, only her determination to somehow see this through to the end driving her to keep pace with Rex's not quite military pace. The specter of what would occur now hung between them, Rex's jaw clenched in its familiar grind as they neared _The Catalyst._

Bouncers met them at the side entrance, allowing them entry, one nudging the other. A crude comment about 'taking a ride when the boss was done' made the knot in her stomach tighten; she didn't want to do this.

Rex left her at the dressing room, leaving her to her own devices as she unfurled the shawl that had been covering her, the moment of truth upon her. Lap dances were normally done with the second or third set, the first just a visual enticement to get the patrons to spend their credits.

She would need to dance her first solo and the first and second of three group dances before heading to the floor. _Focus on one at a time_, she told herself silently as she adjusted the first of her costumes and hung the others. _This is the whole reason we're here; after tonight, I'll never have to do this again!_

While the thought was reassuring, it was also depressing. The thought of never having Rex watch her as she danced was surprisingly disheartening. _Maybe he'll ask me again sometime_, she almost snorted at the thought, smiling and shaking her head. Once this mission was over, she suspected that she and Rex would need to have some kind of discussion about what had occurred between them and figure out what to do about it.

One thing was for sure; whatever they decided, she wasn't telling Skyguy anything about what had happened between her and Rex on this mission!


	13. Mission: Day Six: Part 2

**Author's Note: **You guys are getting this a few hours early because I don't know that I'll be able to post tomorrow... enjoy :D

* * *

_Mission Day Six - Part Two_

Rex wasn't anywhere she could see when Ahsoka went out for her first solo dance. The lack of his familiar stoic expression and the heat in his eyes was immediately noticeable; the churning in her stomach and pulse didn't kick into overdrive.

The music guided her through the song and fan dance even as Ahsoka searched covertly for her friend. _Where are you, Rex?_ As her gaze scanned the crowd more thoroughly than she'd before allowed it; the leering looks of the male crowd, and the odd female, were a touch disturbing. She'd never let herself really _see_ the effect of her dancing and here, now, with Rex absent, Ahsoka felt suddenly exposed in ways she'd not been before.

Her gaze fell on a man as he entered the dance area and the tension ebbed, the flutter in her gut telling her just who it was.

He emerged from the crowd, taking his seat, and his gaze locked on her for the rest of the song. Confident nothing would happen to her with him there, Ahsoka twirled and flirted, all the while keeping her attention focused on Rex. Even when she appeared to be playing the crowd, exhilarated by the _feel_ of his possessive, protective Force signature, she watched him.

As a result, she missed her target entering _The Catalyst_ as the song ended, only shifting her attention as Rex's gaze left her to deliberately touch on the human approaching his booth. While taking her bows, she saw Rex smile falsely at the other man, shaking his hand and offering him a seat.

Having to leave the stage, her last glimpse of their interactions was the man who was her target reaching into his coat pocket to extract a small bag - and then nothing but curtains. Unable to hang around, for she had to be out for the group set in mere minutes, she silently congratulated Rex on managing to be civil as she slipped back into her dressing room.

The group dance passed, before Ahsoka had a breather. Soon, she would need to be out on the floor for the last time and the _real_ reason for playing a Burlesque Coquette would come to fruition. Her stomach was in knots, her attention fractured as she considered the fact that soon it wouldn't be Rex whom she was practicing on, but another male she held no attraction for. She would have to search his pockets, to _touch_ him-

A shudder took her. Seated at the table where she normally adjusted her elaborate head pieces, she couldn't help but notice the panicked slant of her own gaze and the way she _looked _lost. Distressed. Frantic even.

_I can't do this._

The realization was staggering, disheartening, and Ahsoka's head sank into her hands as she dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. _I can't… I can't _betray_ Rex like that; I can't betray myself by… I can't-_

"I have heard it said," spinning, Ahsoka was on her feet and facing the softly spoken comment before she registered Rex's solemn expression, "that a beautiful girl should never look sad."

"You've…"

"Heard it said," he repeated, stepping into her dressing room and closing the door behind him. "Are you alright?"

"I can't," she swallowed against the lump in her throat, her words low so not to carry beyond the walls. "I can't do this Rex."

"You can."

"No; I can't."

"You've had harder assignments, Ahsoka," Rex seemed to be biting his tongue, even as he was trying to reassure her. "Lifting the data crystal off that _di'kut _Seppie should be child's play for you."

"I don't…" she looked away, ashamed of her own weakness but unable to explain it, her fear of pressuring Rex into saying something she very much wanted to hear - but not if it wasn't true - preventing the words. "I don't want to touch him."

Rex was across the room and she was in his arms, bands like durasteel across her back, her head tucked to his shoulder within moments. One hand cradled her head, about where her _lek_ met her skull, his fingers caressing the seam with deliberate strokes. "I know."

Clutching to him, she tilted her face to bury it in his shoulder, uncaring if she was smudging her paint. _This_ was what she wanted; _Rex's_ touch, not some stranger who was only paying for the privilege. She didn't know how the other girls stood it. Managing to avoid the burning behind her eyes, she lifted her head to look at him a couple of long minutes later. "I don't want him to touch me, Rex."

Rex touched his forehead to hers. There was a brief moment before a ragged admission seemed suddenly torn from him. "I don't want him touching you either."

Heart soaring, hope kindling, Ahsoka clung to him. "Can you make it a condition?"

"Not without rekindling suspicion," his expression was bleak as her heart hopes were dashed. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka."

And that was that.

Closing her eyes, Ahsoka nodded, accepting the fact that this role would require a greater sacrifice of self than she'd understood before. _A Jedi does what they must for the people they protect_, she reminded herself silently, drawing strength from Rex's embrace. _A Jedi is selfless; serving the greater good of others no matter the personal cost._

Somehow, she didn't think the Council had _this_ in mind when they'd put that into law.

* * *

Ahsoka's next act, fortunately with the other girls, found Rex back in his seat, hyper aware of the males around him. Word had spread through the crowd that Kora the Torgutan Temptress - the moniker would make Ahsoka laugh later, he was sure - would be performing a _special_ dance tonight and the speculative looks being cast his way weren't unnoticed.

Rex chose to ignore them. Let them think what they wanted.

Tonight had already added to his body count, two more small credit pouches having been tucked away with the others almost absently. Other than a very brief side trip before slipping in to catch the last of Ahsoka's first act, he hadn't a clue what to do with them.

This act for Ahsoka though...

Something felt wrong. Rex saw it because he knew her; she was almost hesitant in her moves, sad... and no one wanted to pay good credits for a Burlesque Coquette who didn't look like she was having a good time. _Come on, Ahsoka, _he urged her silently and hating himself for thinking it, _make them believe this is you; that you're enjoying yourself even though we both know you're not._

Tonight, of all nights, she couldn't afford to have an 'off' night.

Their eyes locked and she must have caught on to his concern, for she forced a smile and her movements gained confidence and grace for all they were still slightly stilted in his view. But then, even after watching her perform on stage for this past week, he still privately believed her at her most graceful with her lightsabers in hand.

She followed along with the music, in step and in time with the other dancers, but even with her grace restored, Rex could tell she was still nervous. During the dance, no one approached him - as had been the norm since that first night barring the seppie's brief interruption- and Rex took advantage of it.

As Ahsoka left the stage, he pushed to his feet, determined to have another word with her; to help her regain her confidence. Rex was stopped a couple of times, briefly, by patrons who wished to speak with him, to which he told them to stick around; once Kora's surprise was finished, he would be open to discussion.

He arrived backstage to a scene from one of his nightmares.

Rhyn was there and Ahsoka was with him.

Or rather the owner of _The Catalyst_ had her backed into the wall with a lascivious look, his hand high on her thigh with his thumb on her hip as his body brushed hers. Ahsoka's posture was all business; Burlesque Coquette business, with the fingers of her right hand walking up the other man's chest.

It was an effective way to tease the man and keep him at bay. Rex could see the way her finger nails of her left hand dug into the wall behind her and how the cadence of her breathing was fearful and not the excitement Rhyn seemed to think. He caught the tail end of Rhyn's low comment as he entered the area.

"-aste of what you can expect tonight; I like my girls wearing my-"

"_After_ she works the floor, Quill," Rex's tone was hard, cutting off whatever vulgar thing the proprietor had been about to say, his hands clenched at his sides. "Last time I checked, she's got one more dance before that happens."

"So there is," Rhyn flashed Rex a grin, running his fingers up Ahsoka's thigh and teasing the raised hem of her skirt, "what harm is there in starting early?"

"Yeah Rex," Ahsoka's voice was sultry, but he could read the plea for help in her eyes when his gaze met hers, "just a taste?"

"We had a deal; take your hands off my girl, Quill, or word on the street will reflect its true value, and you'll be finished by end of month."

Rhyn lifted his hand free and backed off with a smirk. "No need for threats; she goes on in ten and then to the floor," the distinguished looking human's eyes flashed with a decidedly anticipatory and predatory tendencies as he glanced back at Ahsoka. "Don't worry, sweetling; you can show me _all_ your secrets soon enough."

Rex held his arm out for Ahsoka. "Kora. Now."

Ahsoka made a moue of disappointment. "You _always_ ruin my fun." Despite her words and visible, physical reluctance as she slunk to his side, she slid under his arm and pressed against his body.

He could feel her trembling. Looking at Rhyn with a dark expression, Rex didn't back down when the other man turned to face him, suddenly all business.

"Tonight."

Giving Rhyn a sharp nod when he seemed disinclined to leave without it, Rex watched the other man go. Rex remained where he was, his hand splayed across Ahsoka's bare back as her trembling intensified as Rhyn stepped out of view. "Go to your dressing room," he told her in an undertone, "I'll join you in a minute."

Ahsoka did as he directed but Rex remained where he was. It was a good idea, too, for Rhyn returned. Stopping after a moment when he spied Rex, his gaze narrowed and then cleared before he headed for the door that would take him out on the floor. A final glance Rex's way, almost as if checking to see if he was still here, and Rhyn was gone.

Undoubtedly to get a seat for Ahsoka's next act and a quick exit to claim his prize at the end of it.

Rex knew he'd have to act swiftly on the heels of Ahsoka's dance to save her from the man's attentions and was already planning in the back of his mind as he turned back to Ahsoka's dressing room.

His blood was simmering with the repressed rage that Rhyn's audacity had struck a match to; rage that the man had dared to touch Ahsoka. Dared to touch what was _his_. Striding to the door to where Ahsoka had retreated, he stepped in, not finding her in the small adjoining room. Closing the door behind him, he headed for the inner door, cracking it silently, his steps muffled by the carpet.

She was leaning against the table where her paints were strewn haphazardly, the outfit she'd chosen for her last dance on the nearby chair, her eyes closed, head bowed, all her weight on her outstretched arms. They shook a little, still trembling, and he could see her mouthing something to herself – something that looked like _I can do this_.

Looking at her as she determinedly squared her shoulders, Rex could tell she still wasn't confident. She needed to _be_ confident; to be ready. She needed to be in the same place that she was whenever she was on stage; but more than that, whenever she…

An idea hit him.

* * *

"Dance for me."

Ahsoka spun to find Rex watching her from the doorway; she hadn't heard him come in. His words took a moment to register.

Surprising and unexpectedly husky, it was the predatory light in his eyes that reached deep within her, calling to the predator in her that struck the strongest chord. Her mate wanted her. Wanted something _from_ her and she was powerless to resist his call. She swallowed hard and didn't even pretend she hadn't heard him.

"Here?"

He backed away and she followed, exiting the little dressing room and into the private waiting area with a nod. Keeping his gaze locked with hers, Rex settled on the low sofa provided, assuming the slight spread kneed position Ahsoka recognized from the vid they'd watched together.

"Here."

"There's no music."

Rex held out his hand, crooking his fingers in a 'come hither' motion she'd seen men on the floor use, the message in his eyes all heat and desire with an edge she _felt_ more than understood. "You don't need it."

It didn't matter anyway because she'd already begun to approach him, caught in the allure of his demand, her hips swaying unconsciously to a beat she could hear within her heart. The events of what had occurred beyond the room disappeared; the knowledge of what she was doing in that moment infusing her with sudden confidence.

_Rex_ wanted her to dance for him.

Her steps became sharp, sultry, for _him_ alone and the beat of the music was that of her own heart, tapping out a rhythm to which she moved.

* * *

Rage shifted to something else as Ahsoka began to sway, her steps deliberate, taking on an edge that had been missing since the beginning of the night. Lust exploded low in his belly, drying out his mouth as she slipped from soldier to uncomfortable dancer and into the liquid fantasy that haunted his waking hours.

Her slinky, seductive steps were only a half dozen, but the roll of her hips held him mesmerized, his hand still outstretched to catch the elusiveness before him. Just once more. Her fingers touched his, his gaze traveling upwards, across the purple interlaced fabrics of the short dress to meet her gaze.

Smoky cerulean irises with dilated pupils flashed a predatory _possessiveness_ that resonated within his chest and _squeezed_. Her look smoldered with heat, arcing between them with such a sudden ferocity, Rex slid further down in his seat, intentionally pulling her closer.

There was no resistance as Ahsoka slid between his knees but made no move to give him her back. Her hips undulated and shifted to a rhythm he couldn't hear, but _knew_, as she slid down, the fabric of her short skirt brushing with tantalizing promise against the fabric of his pants.

Her hand in his, Ahsoka danced for him. Teasing him, their eyes never leaving one another, yet Rex saw every move, _felt_ every whisper soft caress like points of fire against his resolve.

His hands slid from hers as she lifted her arms, tracing her hands over the side of her body, touching herself as Rex yearned to. She shifted, swaying from side to side, straddling one of his legs. With a single, graceful move, she was over is lap.

"Touch me," Ahsoka whispered, sliding down onto his slightly spread knees, her body a hair breadth away from his, midnight blue irises staring down into his. "Rex… touch me."

"'Soka-"

"Please," she breathed, her knees bending as she tilted her hips and brushed the front of his pants with the whisper of her costume, the barest of pressures. "Touch me; I need you to touch me."

His hands twitched, wanting to do just that, and after days of restraint and frustration without relief, he couldn't hold back any more. She wanted him to touch her; in his role as her Hustler, he had to daily, but she wasn't playing a part now. The emotional heat in her eyes was more than just lust, finding a reflection equal to it within him, answering that call even if he couldn't fully understand it.

Lifting his hands slowly, he started at her knees, the closest part of her body to him, and flexed his fingers. Their eyes locked, anticipation clear in every line of her body, her head tilted back fractionally as he touched her, placing his bare finger tips against the bare skin of her knees. She slid forward, his calloused finger tips dragging along her thighs and moving of their own accord up the length of her legs and under the filmy fabric of her costume to rest on her hips.

She moved then, pressing down, her body undulating as she pressed her pelvis to his, her eyes half lidded with desire and want. Ahsoka slid back on his lap, breaking the pressure and bending to bring her forehead in line with his before shifting downwards, and pressing her breasts against his chest, dragging them upwards without losing either physical or eye contact.

Rex was forced to remove his hands from her costume as he spanned the expanse of her waist. His finger touched at her spine, his thumbs brushing along the firm muscles of her abdomen, feeling them flex and relax as she moved, forward to grind against him. She lifted and pressed in counterpoint to his body, sliding back and forth across his lap like the wanton she was portraying.

The heat in her eyes, the desire, the _emotion_ was the only thing belying her act.

One of her hands slid purposefully down his chest. Their eyes still locked, her hand slipped between them, making him hiss as she cupped him through his pants, her fingers curling about the ridge behind the fastener.

Her smile was sultry, teasing almost, but purposeful. He felt the fabric give way, his breath catching as his fingers flexed on her waist, her hand sliding purposefully downwards. The heel of her hand pressed tightly against him.

"_Fek."_

Ahsoka bent forward to brush her lips across the corner of his mouth as air struck his flesh only to be replaced by the soft tug of fabric. The heat of her surrounded him, penetrating through the thin layers of cloth which held them apart. Ahsoka slid forward, her knees pressed against his hips as she rode him.

"Rex..."

Her voice was smoky, wanton, her eyes and chevrons long since deepened from the shades he was familiar with into the darkened, black state of arousal.

Only some instinct prevented him from saying her name, his fingers spreading against her back as she bent backwards. Her hands linked at the back of his neck as his hips lifted to meet hers, driving them together, flesh to cloth.

His thumbs brushed the under curve of her breasts and over the aching swells, her head dropped back as she broke eye contact, her lekku shifted, exposing her chest and neck in the now familiar gesture of supplication and surrender.

Rex growled low in his throat, drawing her up with a jerk as his lips latched on with possessive intent to the exposed vein. His teeth dug in fractionally, making her moan, her body flexing around his and _squeezing_. Almost of their own accord, his hands shifted lower, his only intent to remove the barrier between them, reason and mission protocol forgotten in the heat of the moment.

He was going to-

"Kora, you're on in - _oh!_"

Rex lifted his head to see who had spoken and spied one of the other girls from the club standing in the doorway, her arms crossed as a slight smirk appeared on her face.

"Don't mind me," she offered with a gesture, a hard look and smile telling him she knew _exactly_ what they were doing. "I can wait."

But the spell was broken.

As his gaze came back to Ahsoka's, he could see the flush that wasn't all repressed desire which darkened her skin. He looked back to the other girl. "Get out."

"Once she's done with you, sugar, I wouldn't mind taking a ride."

_"Out,"_ Rex snapped, "or I'll ensure you've a string of the most unsavory customers you've ever seen."

The other girl pouted and flounced away. The door closed behind her and Rex caught Ahsoka's outstretched hand from the corner of his eye. Turning his head slowly, he looked at her, seeing that while the spell had been broken, the banked desires in her eyes had far from faded. His thumbs shifted of their own accord, stroking the skin of her hips where his hands had stopped. "You need to get ready."

"Rex…I-"

He shook his head, offering her a pained smile, knowing she could feel every rigid inch of him between her thighs. "We've a mission to finish," he told her evenly, his jaw working; the girl's timely interruption had reminded him of their purpose and why they were there. Saved them both from what he'd been about to do... from losing those final shreds of control.

Ahsoka shifted and stopped, looking uncomfortable as his body tensed. "Rex, I-"

"Slide back and turn away."

She did, getting to her feet and giving him her back.

Rex slouched in the seat and refasten his pants. It was painful; nearly impossible, but he did it. Pushing to his feet, he was suddenly at a loss for what to do or say, wanting to place his hands on her shoulders. To run his hands down her arms and enfold her within his. His hands clenched at his sides. _The mission,_ he admonished himself silently.

They could discuss the lapse later, once the night at the cantina was over.

_You're fooling yourself if you think you'll be able to discuss anything rationally with her later_, a small voice whispered in the back of his mind, _you're at the breaking point, do you really think there will _be_ a discussion? Your mouths won't be used for talking. With no chance of an interruption, you'll finish what you started and Ahsoka isn't going to stop you now; she wants you._

Rex pushed it to the back of his mind, focusing on the rhetoric that had been his mantra for days; the only thing that had somehow kept his mind where it _needed_ to be. _The mission; focus on the mission._

But the thought was one that had been gaining strength as his resolve fractured, weakening the effectiveness of that motto. In close quarters with the sexy teen, acting as both protector and lover, the toll being exacted had him at the breaking point. There was no going back now.

* * *

Ahsoka turned as the door closed, Rex departing without another word and leaving her to her preparations. The blood was still humming through her veins, unquenched fires banked but not extinguished, the interruption feeling like providence... and damnation.

_So close_, her heartbeat seemed to tell her, _we were... so close._

Trembling, but not from anything except the fires licking through her veins, Ahsoka turned to go back into the inner chamber of her dressing room. A glint of something shiny where Rex had been sitting caught her attention. Striding to the sofa, she collected a long, chain-like weave that had been left behind, three distinct pieces separating from one another. The adornments on the chains were strange, crystal like, and she took it with her into the main changing room for no other reason than they must have come from Rex.

The next few minutes passed in a blur as she changed, setting the sparkling decorations upon her hands and head, the chinking of the adornments barely registering, the brush of the fabric like the whisper of Rex's touch.

She was on stage and performing before she came back fully to herself, still feeling the residual pheromone rush of charged attraction even as her thoughts cleared. Cheers rang through the cantina as, just under mid-way through her dance, Ahsoka slunk to the edge of the stage.

Playing to the crowd, but with eyes only for Rex, she stepped and out onto the floor for the first time since having been dragged there at the beginning of the week. Ignoring the outstretched hands of the men around her, smacking them away with teasing flicks of her wrists, she went straight for Rex.

Still in time with the music, her footsteps held a prowl-like quality, an edge she'd never think to put into it consciously. Reaching his table, she placed one hand on the top and slid towards him, bending at the waist and drawing another cheer and ribald round of comments. Never losing her smile, she played the part, looking as if she were checking to see who had paid for her that evening. Knowing none but Rex would hear her, she pitched her tone low.

"Thank you for the gift." His eyes flashed as he took in her appearance. "Are we green?"

Rex, playing to her question, nodded once. Taking the hand she'd splayed on his chest, he lifted it, making a production, catcalls of incentives almost drowning out the music. He brought it to a stop, pointing at her target before using it to spin her towards him.

Their fingers parted, leaving her pointed at the eager looking seppie.

Not saying a word, Ahsoka was moving, heading across the floor, already knowing what she had to do to make this believable. A smile crossed her lips. Determined, she melted into the music and let it guide her.


	14. Mission: Day Six: Part 3

**Author's Note: **Only one chapter left which can be posted on TFN after this. Hang on; we're almost done! :D

* * *

_Mission Day Six - Part 3_

Rex leaned back in his chair as he sent Ahsoka across the room, watching the sway of her hips and trying to block out the jeers and whistles of the patrons. She faltered, barely a heartbeat of a whisper, before her steps took on a new kind of edge.

She sashayed confidently towards her target and his insides knotted. This was it. This was the reason they were there; the reason they'd endured this last week's eccentricities. This was the mission. _This_ was the purpose behind everything.

And none of it meant anything.

Rex wished he could call her back, to stop this farce before it began, but Ahsoka had already stepped completely into the character. His mouth dried, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, preventing him from saying anything even if he'd so chosen.

Ahsoka slid into the dance, but this time, instead of seeing it from the perspective of the target, he was seeing it as an observer. His jaw tightened, the muscles in his neck cording, as she arched her back, stretching her arms sensuously towards the ceiling. Except for a barely decent wisp of blue fabric, that was practically see through across her hips and backside, he was treated to the practically naked view of her rear.

Along with every other male in the house.

Possessive, jealous fury rose up within him, pounding in his chest as his hand clenched, unseen, around the edge of his seat cushion under the table. _Mine_, he wanted to cry, the urge to blast anyone who was looking at her suddenly nearly unbearable.

Only the knowledge that he couldn't without putting _Ahsoka_ in more danger than she already was stayed his hand.

The music changed into a low, thrumming beat as Ahsoka leaned in, sliding her hands along the thighs of her target, her fingers firm even from Rex's view, the crystals of arm and face covers glinting in the dim light. Every muscle in his lower body felt that touch, every sense of self denying that she was touching another man the way she'd so recently been touching him.

It was torture to watch her work the target, swaying over and back across the Separatists lap. To see her hands running up and down, across his shoulders, chest and thighs, undoubtedly, dipping into the hidden pockets she found.

Ahsoka turned then, gracefully sliding up and down and back as she finally made full contact with the target. Her gaze locked with Rex's unerringly, as if sensing his agonized regard, and the tempo of her movements increased.

Tilting her head back to expose the slender lines of her neck, her eyes half-lidded and never leaving Rex's, her hips and body undulated convincingly as she leaned back to give the Separatist the thrill of his life. Her head touched the target's shoulder, her montral along the curve of his face, eyes flashing with heat that Rex felt from his seat across the room.

As her legs extended, sliding against one another, the light caught on the golden chains that wound down her body from neck to ankle. Practically stretched prone, the chains were the only things keeping her outfit from lifting free with each shift and twist of her body.

The fabric stretched and bunched as the Separatist became involved, his hands sliding down Ahsoka's sides and across her bare stomach as she lifted her hips. She slid down within that touch, his hands coming up to cup her breasts, her eyes still locked with Rex's.

Ahsoka's posture never changed.

She didn't tense, made no move to escape the touch, in fact, Rex watched her seem to _encourage_ it as she lifted straight into the Separatists body. Those invading hands were touching what was _his;_ what should _never_ be touched by anyone else. What Ahsoka didn't _want _touched by anyone else...

_Get your hands off-_

Rex felt the cushion under his fingers give as the leather fabric tore under the ferocity of his grip.

The music reached its crescendo and Ahsoka moved, the Separatists hands dropping to her hips as she stood. Caressing her curves as the man appeared to use her moves to direct his touch, Ahsoka straddled both of the man's knees and let him take her weight as the final notes of the song blared through the cantina.

Not waiting, Rex stood and exited the room as the surrounding crowd leapt to its feet, using it to mask his getaway into the back, needing to escape from the sight that had rattled and infuriated him. If he didn't leave, he would blow their cover and not give a damn that he was throwing all of their hard work, all of _Ahsoka's _hard work, away. Behind him, the music came to its final close

_How can you do it?_ he wondered, his stomach in knots. _How can you let him touch you after you said... after..._ Jealous fury consumed him as he found a dark corner and put his back to the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest, only realizing in that moment he was still holding the part of the seat cushion he'd torn.

Tossing it away, he waited for Ahsoka to return backstage, not trusting himself to go after her in those moments. If he did, the Separatist would end up dead, the patrons would end up dead and he and Ahsoka would have a worthless data crystal. _The mission... the hell with the mission; we're done!_

Rex, thankfully, didn't have long to wait and Ahsoka appeared to chants and calls for more, glancing behind her before slipping into the area, her smile dying the moment she noticed she seemed to be alone. Even as he watched, she lifted her hands and rubbed her arms, as if trying to get warm - or erase the touch of the Separatist. For the sake of his sanity, Rex latched on to the second one.

"Ahsoka."

She spun, eyes wide, only to relax when she spied him, crossing the room swiftly to his side. Stopping just shy of touching him, he noted a glint of something different in her eyes as she unfurled her fingers to reveal a data crystal that didn't match the rest of her adornments, a smile crossing her lips again.

Rex glanced at it with a sharp nod, the viable proof of her... of _their _success doing nothing to mitigate the jealousy eating away at him. Still; she deserved something other than a nod but the words came out clipped and ragged. "Good job."

"Rex?" her smile dimmed a little, confusion entering her gaze as she searched what he knew was his taut expression. "Wha-"

_"Kora!"_

They both looked as one of Rhyn's guards appeared in the backstage area and Rex collected the crystal, tucking it away within a pocket in his jacket that could be secured. He eased her deeper into the shadows, narrowing his gaze as the man headed for the dressing room Ahsoka had been assigned.

"We don't have much time," Rex told her, somehow managing to keep his voice low and reclaim the professionalism of his craft. He retreated behind it like a shield, using it as a bulwark against the conflagration of emotional upheaval that was eating him alive. "We need to leave; now."

Ahsoka nodded, following him as Rex eased deeper into the room as the bodyguard disappeared. Glancing back to make sure she stayed close, Rex knew it was unlikely they'd reach the exit without a fight, but he knew they had to try. There was _no way _Rhyn was getting his hands on Ahsoka any more than he already had. Rex's hand closed over the stock of a blaster, wishing it was his familiar decee, but knowing it would do in a pinch. If Rhyn came for Ahsoka, the man wouldn't live to see morning.

Motioning Ahsoka across the room first, Rex knew his priority was to keep her out of sight for as long as possible. She darted, the chains on her costume clinking musically off point with the crystals of her head and arm decorations, her footsteps silent and sure across the plush carpet. He followed, keeping to the wall, hearing the guard call for her again.

Precious seconds passed as they moved from the dressing room area, through the winding corridors towards the stage exit and emerged into the main exit/entry hall the girls used when they had no clients.

Rex made for the door, his blaster in hand, only to spin when a shout behind him drew his attention.

_"Hey! Kora! The boss wants you in his chambers by the end of this act. Doesn't do to keep Master Quill waiting."_

Ahsoka didn't so much as make to respond as she passed Rex and reached the portal, Rex returning a very pointed blaster bolt in response. The guard cried out, clutching his shoulder as the bolt ricocheted off something, deflecting the killing blow and Rex growled as he fired again and then a third time again with the same result.

"Rex!"

The sound of the streets beyond and the coolness of the night air hit him at the same time as her cry; the door was open, it was time to go.

"Tell your boss thanks but no thanks; Kora's retired," Rex snapped as he whirled away to follow Ahsoka.

As they gained the street, Rex could hear the general call to arms behind him; Rhyn wasn't going to give up his prize without a fight. Especially not after Ahsoka had taunted him in the back and he'd seen that final dance. They needed a place to hide; quickly.

"Rex?"

"This way," he motioned her to follow, taking off at a run for the first block.

Ducking and weaving as the first bolt followed them out into the night. Cries of "Stop!" and "Hold them!" and "Thief!" resonated behind them as Rex snapped off a couple of shots in return. Rex fell back, using himself as a shield between the scantily clad Ahsoka and their pursuers. Agile as she was and able to call on the Force, she lacked a Jedi's preferred weapon in hand when in retreat.

"We can't lose them in this," Ahsoka called back, turning a corner and then another one, Rex right on her heels. She was easy for him to follow; barely a flash of sienna skin and blue with a musical discordance only audible at close range. "We need a plan!"

"Don't get shot," he called back, in his element as he paused to shoot back around the corner, both into the bodyguard and security staff he recognized from _The Catalyst_ and into the surrounding narrow streets and alleyways to deflect shots off the walls and confuse their pursuers. "Do we need something more?"

Her laughter beyond him was low and Rex grinned, the adrenaline coursing through his system, the fire fight, even the run itself, being used as an outlet for the sexual frustration of these last days. He'd have preferred to turn and fight, to take out from _physical_ frustration by defending Ahsoka as was his right, but her safety came first.

Leaving the corner, he followed her around the next series, hearing the pursuit incoming, closer than before. As they broke around the next corner, Rex was suddenly thrown bodily into a wall as a blaster bolt that would have taken him in the side of the head otherwise, arrowed down the street. Ahsoka lay flat against him, pressing him into the surface.

Rex had no time to dwell on her actions as he wrapped an arm about her waist, fired back in the direction the shot had come from, and cut around the next edge. Back and forth they went, Rex trading shots with their pursuers and Ahsoka saving his skin when one of them got lucky. A fizzled shot glanced off his shoulder, deflected by his coat to expire in the coolness of the night air.

On they ran as an hour passed before they were able to gain a breather, Ahsoka slipping into a tight, blind corner and hauling him after her. To fit inside, Ahsoka grasped him around the neck and _pulled_.

One of her legs slid up over his hip as she used her grip on his neck for leverage, pulling herself up to hold him tightly even as Rex stumbled into the opening. His shoulders lodged sideways and he turned, his jacket taking the brunt of the ragged wall edge as one arm came up protectively along Ahsoka's bare back.

Flush, crushed together, Rex attempted to give them each some space, but Ahsoka shifted and suddenly it was as if they were back on the sofa and had never left _The Catalyst._

Their eyes locked, not even the cool night air able to slip between their fused bodies. Rex held his breath, trying not to inhale her scent, he was surprised when she nodded and did the same, her chest expanding against his and he barely managed to hold back a groan.

_This is a bad idea._

His breath came out in a soft gasp, mingling with hers, both of their chests heaving together as they struggled to prevent heavy, audible breathing and against the volatile attraction binding them together.

Jealousy surged through him as their current position brought to mind the image of her on the Separatist's lap and a hissed question fell from his lips before he could stop it. "How could you do it, Ahsoka?"

Her gaze searched his, not following his train of thought.

"The dance, I thought you didn't-"

One of her hands came up, her fingers cool against his lips as she cut him off. "I didn't." Her voice was low, just above a whisper so it didn't carry. "I couldn't do it, Rex."

He shook his head, saying nothing, but she understood him this time and her expression was vulnerable when she answered. "I couldn't do it... so I pictured I was dancing for you; touching _you_."

The words had an effect on him he didn't expect. Both humbling and empowering, Ahsoka's fingers curled against the back of his head, drawing it down, and he tilted his forehead to hers. He wanted to kiss her, to _show_ her what it meant to him, but this was neither the time nor the place.

Footsteps one street over, and closer, passed in a rush, Rex catching a smattering of communication between the groups but not understanding any of it. His brain seemed to have short circuited, adrenaline ebbed to have left the raw edged desire that had been his constant companion this past week in its place. Coupled with Ahsoka's admission, only their circumstances in the moment stopped him from acting on it.

Lifting his head as the footsteps and voices passed and disappeared beyond them, Rex turned to look beyond their little alcove.

Hidden as they were, the downside to not being seen was that he couldn't see beyond the sharp corner. Glancing back at Ahsoka, he saw her eyes were closed. Pitching his voice low, his fingers flexed on her back. "Ahsoka."

She shuddered, her eyes opening, and Rex thought she looked a little... dazed.

Ignoring it, he didn't really have any other choice, he tried again. "Ahsoka, we have to go."

Getting out of the tight spot was almost as painful as having gotten into it and Rex had no desire to let her go once they were free. Still, he did; they weren't safe yet. His instincts were telling him danger was close and now was not the time. That didn't stop his hand from lingering low on the small of her back, all in the interest of seeing she regained her balance as he let her go.

He felt every flex and shift of her muscles as she sucked in a sharp breath - only to cry out, eyes widening as she stumbled against him, blood blooming on her upper arm and spattering the blue of her costume. Something shiny and sharp sliced her skin, impacting on his coat before clattering to the ground.

Rex's blaster was out and aimed, the first of the bolts having left the muzzle before he truly saw the target. Spinning Ahsoka behind him and back into the tight corner where they'd been hiding, he drew the second pistol, firing off a volley at the pair of _Catalyst_ guards who stood ten feet away, knives in hand.

A third was already down, a single blaster shot straight through the forehead.

The fight was brief, almost embarrassingly so, Rex's concern for Ahsoka lending him a clarity that had been lacking moments before. Four shots later and it was over, the thugs dropping without letting loose another knife. Holstering his blasters, Rex turned to find Ahsoka holding her injury, blood dripping through her fingers, staring at him with the look he most loathed to see in her eyes.

Pain.

"How bad?"

She uncurled her hand, revealing a deep gash, her fingers and the crystal charms coated in her own blood.

Rex reached out, intending to touch but curled her fingers back around it instead. He had no medical supplies, hadn't thought they would need any, and cast around for options. His gaze fell on the three corpses. "Wait here."

Moving to the still cooling bodies, he knelt and began rifling through their pockets and belt supplies. Leaving the credits and rest of their equipment, Rex worked quickly, aware that these would be missed. He and Ahsoka were close enough to the edge of the city they would be able to run for their extraction point, but she needed to be tended to first. On the body of the second bouncer, he found what he was looking for; a bottle of bacta gel.

Moving back to the blind corner where he'd left her, Rex took a knee beside where she was sitting against the wall, her breathing even, her eyes closed and he recognized the concentration in her expression; she was drawing on the Force. Her arm was streaked with blood, droplets still escaping from between her fingers.

Rex placed the bottle next to her hip and touched her hand. "Let me see."

She did as he asked and Rex examined the wound, pausing as he cast about for some way to clean it; for such a small scratch, it shouldn't be bleeding as it was. Shrugging out of his jacket, he tore the sleeves off his shirt. With gentle hands, he wiped away the blood, pulling a small fragment of metal from the wound and doing his best to ignore Ahsoka's sharp inhale.

Her skin was cool under his touch, her blood warm, as he pressed the other folded sleeve against the wound. "Hold this."

* * *

Ahsoka's hand curled back around the makeshift pad as Rex did something she wasn't expecting; he pulled his shirt over his head. Her mouth went dry as she was suddenly exposed to his half naked self, dressed in just leather pants and the wound in her arm faded into an inconsequential nuisance.

As she watched, Rex wiped his hands as clean as he could on the shirt before reaching down to collect the tube of bacta gel. Completely focused on his task, he lifted her hand, nodded at something, and pressed it away. His touch was gentle and thorough as he squeezed some of the gel onto his finger tips and began spreading it over her wound.

Rex leaned in close, and Ahsoka turned her head to watch him, her lips slightly parted as a feeling of euphoria left her slightly light headed. He tensed, working quickly, before tearing his shirt into strips. Ahsoka angled her arm for him so he could wrap the bandage around the bacta gel and apply additional pressure to the wound.

As he was tying it off, Rex lifted his head and their gazes locked. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the concern and heat in the depths of his, her blood pounding through her veins as his head drew closer to hers. _Oh yes_, her gaze darted to his lips and back to his eyes, _oh yes; yes, yes, y-_

Their heads snapped up at the sound of a familiar set of engines rumbling through the atmosphere above the city. Rex was already on his feet and shrugging into his coat when she looked back his way, the moment lost. She accepted the hand he extended her way to get her back on her feet, the bacta gel already having numbed her injury.

She found her voice. "That sounds like our ride, Rex."

"Yes, sir."

Ahsoka flinched with the automatic response. "Ahsoka, Rex," she insisted, "No sirs... okay?"

"_Ahsoka_," he squeezed her hand before letting her go. "Let's get out of here."

Part of her wanted to rebel, to deny it; to remain where they were finish the exploration they'd begun. Yet, even as she thought it, she knew it was impossible and not just because they had responsibilities, duties and a piece of key intelligence to hand over.

Stepping out into the streets, Ahsoka looked back to Rex, flashed him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, and set out towards their rendezvous. Rex offered her a tight half smile and nodded, giving her the go ahead to take point. Setting out, Ahsoka somehow found the focus to stretch out with the Force and followed its guidance away from the pockets of malevolence focused their way, ensuring they could skirt the largest groups of their pursuers.

Rex was forced to use his blasters in two very brief, and one sided, running fights before they were able to break free of the city limits. The trek took far longer than she'd thought possible, but also no time at all, and Ahsoka found she wasn't prepared when the _Resolute _came into sight just under an hour later, dead of night having passed without so much as a whisper of notice.

The illumination of the area by the _Resolute's_ flood lights was a stark contrast to the darkened hills and small scrubs she and Rex had been hiking through. It was a shock to see the familiar white and blue clad armor of Torrent Company's men, such a startling difference to the black she'd become accustomed to seeing Rex in.

It was a shock to realize that where the armor on Rex was a reassuring familiarity, his current outfit had become something that wasn't just dangerous but irresistible. As it was, she wasn't prepared when, moments later, they were surrounded by familiar figures, blasters at the ready, and challenged.


	15. Post Mission

_Post Mission_

Rex caught Ahsoka's stare bare moments before the familiar _click_ of blaster's being readied to fire reached him, both of them suddenly awash in light. Throwing his arms up to shield his eyes, he wasn't disappointed when a challenge rang out from behind it.

_"Halt! State your business!"_

"Stand down," he ordered, dropping his arms and squinting into the light, letting his brothers see him. "And point that light elsewhere!"

_"Captain!"_

_"Captain Rex, sir!"_

_"It's the Captain!"_

_"Who's that with you, sir; she's quite-"_

"I'd stop there, Trooper." Rex knew his tone was dangerously harsh as he stepped forward, motioning Ahsoka to join him. She did, walking at his side through the men and towards the boarding ramp of the _Resolute_. There was a pause and then shock rippled through the ranks as the men seemed to realize her identity.

_"Commander?!"_

Rex's jaw tightened, his hands clenching on his sides as the revelation made its way through the ranks. Shock, coupled with a very real male appreciation he could _feel _resonating from his brothers, made his gut clench hard. Each step they took, Rex could see the men leering at her; watching her with a new knowledge as she inspired their baser natures - not unlike the lowlifes at _The Catalyst_. The idea only put him _more_ on edge.

Wanting to keep their gazes off her, Rex shrugged out of his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. If he'd thought of it sooner, he'd never have given them even that much of an eye full. Leaving one of his arms around her, he shot his brothers a dark look. "As you were; back to your assigned positions!"

The men reacted to his order as they'd been trained to; slapping buckets back on their heads and resuming their watches but Rex knew it did little to stop their regard. Tucking her close to his body, Rex scowled as they reached the ramp and Coric stepped forward.

"I couldn't help but notice you're injured, Commander, may I-"

"As you were, Sergeant," Rex's tone left no room for argument, the very _thought_ of having anyone, even one of his trusted brothers, touch Ahsoka at that moment was abhorrent. She was his to care for, his to protect and, if he as any judge of her expressions, she wasn't ready to be seen by anyone just yet. "The Commander will see you in the morning."

"Sir-"

"As. You. _Were._"

Coric backed off, the medic looking nonplussed as he snapped to attention. "Yes, _sir_!"

Ignoring the reproach in the other man's tone, Rex led Ahsoka up the boarding ramp and into the Resolute, his gut a knot of nerves and frustration. Shielded by the weight of his coat, she was quiet under his arm. Rex wasted no time in escorting her through the corridors, casting anyone who looked at her a foreboding look.

They arrived at her door without being challenged, Rex looking down into Ahsoka's vulnerable gaze and wishing he could say something; say _anything_. He couldn't. They were back on the _Resolute, _back in their guises of Captain and Commander, and no longer just Rex and Ahsoka. Still, it didn't stop him from lifting his hand and gently, after a moment's hesitation, touching his fingertips to her cheek.

She didn't say anything, simply clutched the edges of his coat together like a shield, eyes wide. He didn't want to let her go, but knew he had no choice. Rex swallowed hard. "Get some rest, Ahsoka."

Nodding, she hesitated a moment before shrugging out of the jacket he'd given her and handing it over. Otherwise, she made no move to leave. Rex reached around her, palming open the door, and nodded towards it. Ahsoka shook her head, visibly reluctant to be parted from him as her hand reached out and caught his.

Bending down, Rex shifted her grip and, using a move he'd seen Rhyn - of all people - use, brushed his lips across the backs of her fingers. It was all the contact he would allow himself; all the contact he could bear. Anything more and he wouldn't be leaving her there alone. "Goodnight, Ahsoka."

Turning, he left her in the corridor and headed back the way he'd come, ignoring the outstretched hand that hadn't fallen when he'd released it. Each step was more difficult than the last, a self-inflicted torture as the image of her achingly vulnerable expression hovered before him as if trying to convey some sort of message he couldn't understand. He was at the end of the corridor, reaching out to grasp the wall when his resolve failed and turned to go back to her - only to see her door closing, locking him out as the access light turned from green to red.

Staring at the closed portal, the knowledge of what he'd been about to do, of what he'd been _willing_ to do, tightened his jaw again. Turning on his heel, he shrugged into his coat and marched away.

* * *

Much later, after Rex had escorted the too quiet Ahsoka back to her room and left her there and he'd handed over the data crystal to the Admiral for safe keeping, he had the presence of mind to stop in and check on his General. Anakin, he was told by the droid, had been released that morning, but was on strong sedatives and wasn't to be disturbed until morning.

With no other distractions, Rex returned to the barracks. The joking remarks from some of his brothers - from other companies - about his choice in attire quickly died as soon as he'd turned his gaze upon them.

He was in no mood to be teased and it showed.

Collecting his fatigues from his locker, he hit the showers. Mercifully alone, but painfully hard and aching, he was physically sensitive to the point of wincing as he'd peeled off the leathers of his costume. He'd found no relief in the shower beyond a momentary one, the images of these last few days replaying in his head in a kind of painful, exquisite torture.

Of Ahsoka's trepidation in the initial stages to the confidence in which she'd carried herself the moment they were on display.

Afterwards, Rex lay in his bunk, staring at the ceiling without seeing it; images and sensations plagued him - his own personal hell. He could see Ahsoka's expression the first time she'd come to him, swaying with the beginnings of what would be a torturously glorious experience of her first attempt at a lap dance.

He could see the improvements in her movements from the following night, after she'd had the chance to observe professionals in action. Felt the heat of her in his hands that final time as she'd encouraged him to touch her, knowing now how she'd needed to feel his touch to prepare herself for being touched by someone else.

The knowledge of her later admission, that she'd been thinking of _him_, now colored his view of her assigned task as it was executed. The sway of her hips, her body undulating, as her half lidded gaze met his from across the room, her body whispering tantalizingly across the legs and lap of their target. How she stretched-

_Chirp. Chirp._

Rex bit back a groan as his comlink sounded, reaching for it and flicking it on. "Rex here."

There was a pause and then-

_"Rex... It's Ahsoka."_

Her husky tones were enough to have him closing his eyes against the surge of protectiveness they generated. She didn't need to identify herself; he'd have known her voice even if he were deaf; he could feel the way she formed the words vibrating through his pores. He threw one arm over his eyes.

"What do you need, Ahsoka?"

_"You."_

There was a pregnant pause as Rex's imagination catapulted him back to earlier that night and the sofa at _The Catalyst_; to having Ahsoka on his lap, uninhibited and _his_ for the taking. He swallowed hard against the image, _deliberately_ having avoided it until then, and opened his eyes as he pushed himself up on one elbow.

_"That is, can you come to my room?"_

The strain in her voice was noticeable now and Rex frowned. Despite the _implication_ he heard in her request, he knew it wasn't what she was asking. He threw his legs over the edge of his bunk. "Your room?"

_"I need to talk to you."_

"Now?"

_"It's about the mission, Rex; it's important. Will... will you come?"_

Rex was already on his feet and clipping on his armor as she asked the question, foregoing his gauntlets and helmet, knowing this was a bad idea but unable to deny her. Sealing his fate, he keyed the comlink one last time. "I'll be there shortly."

* * *

Before Ahsoka opened her door to his light knock, Rex glanced left and right, firmly reminding himself he was here to speak with her at her request, nothing more. He wasn't there to alleviate the burning in his gut that had been his companion since day one of their mission.

Ahsoka had asked him to come, said she _needed_ to _talk_ to him and she'd sounded… broken; like nothing he'd ever heard from her before. He couldn't have _not _come and he was already kicking himself.

His restraint and control were frayed and worn from a week of temptation and he knew it; this was a bad idea no matter how much she needed to see him.

Then the door was opened and she was there.

"Rex."

There were tears in her eyes and a sheen to her skin that spoke of a recent shower. Dressed in a shirt he'd never seen before, it covered her from neck to hip, buttoned up the front and clinging ever so slightly to her frame, the edge of her normal skirt peeking out beneath it. Despite the fact he'd watched her parade practically naked across a stage for hours over the last few days, the covering was a relief as much as it was an allure.

In some ways, it was only _more_ of a tease than if she'd answered the door unclothed.

It made his hands itch to remove it, to grab it by the lapels and jerk, to reveal the soft, supple skin he knew he'd find underneath. His fists clenched at his sides and he deliberately folded them together behind his back in an attempt to diminish and manage the impulse. It was a losing battle; he could already feel the shreds of his hard won control slipping away before the conversation had begun.

She motioned him into a room lit only by candles, the dimness unable to mute the bright azure of her eyes. He entered only a step, enough to ensure the door closed behind him, watching her, waiting, as she stared back at him.

The look in her eyes was vulnerable, wounded, calling to every protective instinct, to every feeling long denied between them, _urging_ him to make things right. She needed something; needed something _from_ him and what he wanted to give her was wrong for the moment and the situation.

She needed the confidante, the _friend_ he'd always been. What she didn't need was a man who wanted her so badly he'd been in tumescent agony every moment of their assignment. A man who was silently condemning the rules and regulations and personal code of honor that kept them apart.

Biting her lower lip, she crossed her arms over her chest, low that it was more around her ribs. The fabric pulled tight across her body as she gazed up at him. One hand plucked nervously at the fabric on one shoulder.

"I… Rex; I… I wanted to… "

And none of the reasons why they had to remain apart suddenly mattered as she struggled to find the words. The leashed desires - the want and the need - in her eyes spoke to him in a primal way no utterance could.

An inferno had begun as an ember and smoldered, roaring into fully banked heat the past week in her constant company. He'd managed not to fully act on it, focusing on the mission, their objective; on controlling himself because she deserved better than the raw deal she'd been given. She deserved better than the man he was and his inability to give her a future no matter that she was the brightest spot in his sorry existence. That she was a major reason, the only _good _reason, he had for continuing to fight; his inspiration and drive - the woman who held his soul, his deepest admiration and loyalties - and didn't know it.

Couldn't.

That heat which ripped through him now made the inferno of before feel like a whisper of warmth, tearing down his defenses and obliterating reason as lust roared through his veins.

Ahsoka gasped as his hands shot out, capturing her. Lifting her, he spun her against the wall next to the door. His armor clad body came down hard on hers as he stared deeply into her wide eyes. Eyes that were stormy, darkening from glittering cerulean to deep sapphire. His hands pinned hers at the wrist, just above shoulder height on either side of her head, his mouth coming down on her with the savage hunger he could no longer contain.

Her gasp parted her lips, a mewling sound of surprise that echoed through the room as his own partially open mouth descended on hers. The taste of her was like some exotic, _forbidden _spice. A taste he'd never forgotten; one he'd never forget.

He took her reaction for granted. Her response, her _eagerness_ was a given in his mind; she wanted this as much as he did. Had teased and taunted, _flaunted _herself for him to get this very end. Her mouth open under his as his instincts raged, the blood surging through his system with a single intent.

Claiming her, _branding_ her, as _his_.

He let her get no word in edgewise, allowed no escape, no room for thought; no chance to finish what she'd deemed she needed to say. Deliberately silencing her, Rex _took _from her what he wanted; needed.

In the heat of their passions, her clothes were torn from her body, his armor strewn across the floor as they writhed together against the wall. Rex controlled the frantic pace of their coming together; forcing her to submit to his needs, completely unmindful of his strength. They moved from the wall to the bed where he finally, _forcefully_, claimed her completely as his while surrendering all of his self to her.

Morning would come quickly for the pair of young lovers, but morning would bring only further heartache and pain and a misunderstanding that would, after a single moment of mutual glory, tear them apart.

_Fin _

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_Continued in Journey of Revolution_ by **_emjalen_ - **which now being re-written as she decided she wanted to do more with it than what she just had before. It's going to be _fun_!

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**Author's note:** for the _full_ adult chapters [yes, _two_; one from Rex's POV and now one from Ahsoka's], visit my profile on AFF. It is rated MA [or NC-17] so make sure if you're going to read it that you're of age *shakes finger*

Thanks for reading guys and massive thank you to **emjalen** for letting me play in the sandbox of her AU 'verse ;)


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